Peter & the Wolf (2006 film) facts for kids

Peter & the Wolf
Film poster
Directed by	Suzie Templeton
Produced by	Alan Dewhurst Hugh Welchman Zbigniew Zmudzki
Written by	Suzie Templeton Marianela Maldonado
Music by	Sergei Prokofiev
Cinematography	Hugh Gordon Mikołaj Jaroszewicz
Editing by	Suzie Templeton Tony Fish
Studio	BreakThru Films Se-ma-for
Distributed by	BreakThru Films
Release date(s)	23 September 2006 (2006-09-23)
Running time	33 minutes
Country	United Kingdom Poland Norway
Budget	£2 million

Peter & the Wolf (Polish: Piotruś i wilk) is a short stop-motion animated film. It was made in 2006 by teams from Poland, the United Kingdom, and Norway. The film was written and directed by Suzie Templeton. The beautiful scenery was designed by Marek Skrobecki.

This movie was created at Se-ma-for Studios in Łódź, Poland. It has been shown in cinemas, sometimes with live music played by an orchestra. The film is based on a famous story called Peter and the Wolf. This story was set to music by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936.

Unlike most versions of Prokofiev's work, this film has no narrator. Instead, it uses only music and images to tell the exciting story. A new recording of Prokofiev's music was made for the film. The Philharmonia Orchestra played the music, and Mark Stephenson conducted it.

Peter's Adventure: A Story of Courage

This film tells the story of Peter, an 11-year-old boy. He lives with his grumpy grandfather near a huge forest in Russia. This forest is so big that wolves still live there. Peter's cottage is surrounded by a tall, strong fence.

Peter and His Animal Friends

Peter often feels picked on by people in town. His grandfather also won't let him go into the forest. Peter has two special animal friends. One is a friendly Indian runner duck named Ducky. They often hang out in the grandfather's yard.

Another friend is a hooded crow with a broken wing. This bird is very impatient and wants Peter to go into the forest. Peter's heart beats fast with excitement. He quietly sneaks into the cottage. He reaches over his sleeping, snoring grandfather and his fat tabby cat. Very carefully, Peter takes the keys to the gate.

Playing in the Forest

Peter has an amazing time playing in the forest with his friends. He even helps the bird fly! He uses a balloon and some rope to give the bird a lift.

Later, everyone goes ice skating on a frozen lake. Everyone, that is, except the cat. The cat tries to catch the bird to eat it. But the cat is so heavy that it crashes through the ice! It falls into the freezing water.

The Wolf Appears

Suddenly, Peter's grandfather wakes up. He sees Peter in the forest and gets very angry. He grabs his shotgun and rushes outside. He pulls Peter off the ice and drags him back to the cottage. Then he locks the fence.

The forest suddenly becomes very quiet. Peter looks through a hole in the fence. He sees a wolf at the edge of the forest. The cat manages to climb up a tree to be safe. But the wolf swallows Ducky whole!

Peter quickly grabs a heavy net. He slings it over his shoulder and climbs up the fence and into the tree. Peter falls from the tree, and the wolf attacks him. After a long and tough fight, Peter finally catches the wolf in the net.

Peter's Brave Choice

Peter's grandfather drives into town with the captured wolf. Peter stands proudly on top of the wolf's cage. But the townspeople don't really see Peter's success. His grandfather takes all the credit for catching the wolf.

The bird's broken wing heals, and it can fly again. Then, the town bullies, who often pick on Peter, arrive. They start bothering the helpless wolf with a gun. Peter looks into the wolf's sad eyes. He feels disappointed with his grandfather and the town for how they treat both him and the wolf.

So, Peter makes a brave decision. He opens the cage, and the wolf races back into the forest. This ending is different from the original story. In the original, the wolf is usually taken to a zoo. In this film, you can hear the duck quacking inside the wolf. This means Ducky is still alive!

Making and Showing the Film

Peter & the Wolf was a big project involving several countries. The main company was BreakThru Films from the UK. Other partners included Se-ma-for Studios in Łódź, Poland, and Storm Studios in Oslo, Norway. Other companies from Mexico and Switzerland also helped.

Where the Film Was Made

All the puppet animation was done in Łódź, Poland. Most of the crew working on the animation were Polish. Special effects shots were created at Storm Studios in Oslo. You can even spot classic cars like the 1962 GAZ-21 Volga in the film.

The film was made at Se-ma-for Studios in Łódź, Poland, from February to August 2006. The digital finishing touches were added at Storm Studios in Oslo, Norway.

Film Premieres and Broadcasts

The first live showing of the film was on September 29, 2006. It took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The Philharmonia Orchestra played the music live with the film.

Since then, the film has traveled to many places. It has been shown with both live and recorded music. It toured Britain, Hong Kong, and Australia. The film first aired on British television on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve 2006. It was shown with music recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra.

The film was first shown in North America on July 25, 2007. This was at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. The Philadelphia Orchestra played live for about 9,000 people. The film was also shown in the U.S. on PBS's Great Performances series on March 26, 2008.

In January 2009, the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland showed the film. They played the music live to a full audience at the Helix in Dublin. The audience loved it!

Images for kids

• 

  Film poster