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Oscar® Nominee, Best Short Subject (Live Action), 1957

A Chairy Tale

1957 9 min
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In this short film, a chair, animated by Evelyn Lambart, refuses to be sat upon, forcing a young man to perform a sort of dance with the chair. The musical accompaniment is by Ravi Shankar and Chatur Lal. This virtuoso film is the result of a collaboration between Norman McLaren and Claude Jutra.

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A Chairy Tale

Details

In this short film, a chair, animated by Evelyn Lambart, refuses to be sat upon, forcing a young man to perform a sort of dance with the chair. The musical accompaniment is by Ravi Shankar and Chatur Lal. This virtuoso film is the result of a collaboration between Norman McLaren and Claude Jutra.

  • director
    Norman McLaren
    Claude Jutra
  • animation
    Evelyn Lambart
  • music
    Ravi Shankar
    Chatur Lal
  • sound recording
    Maurice Blackburn
  • cast
    Claude Jutra

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Education

Ages 15 to 15
Study Guides
School subjects
Does the relationship between the man and the chair remind you of any real life relationships? What if a person were used as a prop, to represent the chair? How would this change the way we understand the film? How do established roles affect how we interact with people? If we step outside our roles, what could happen? Have students role-play with a chair or other inanimate object.
A Chairy Tale
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Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

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Institutional licence

The institutional price includes the rights to screen this film in institutional settings and in free public screenings.