Sredni Vashtar

  • Drama
  • Horror
9/1/1981
27

Storyline

Sredni Vashtar is a 1981 short film, written, produced and directed by Andrew Birkin, based on the short story of the same name written by Hector Hugh Munro. The story concerns a slowly dying ten-year-old boy named Conradin, who lives with his strict cousin and guardian, Mrs. De Ropp. Conradin rebels against her and invents a new religion for himself, which centres on idolising a polecat-ferret he calls Sredni Vashtar; a vengeful, merciless god. The film won the BAFTA award for Best Short Film, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

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      Cast

      Reviews

      • Geronimo1967

        Alexander Puttnam turns in a charming performance here as the young "Conradin" who is trapped in a gilded cage by his aunt "Augusta" (Judy Campbell) for fear that his already terminal illness will worsen. Much to his indifference, she has determined to get him a new personal tutor and "Mortimer" (Alan Corduna) is employed to teach the boy Latin, but he has zero interest. His interests are simply for his pet hen, secreted away in a shed at the bottom of the garden and for the eponymous deity which has taken form as a pole cat and whom he worships in the hope that he might be helped to escape from his ongoing purgatory. With his ever vigilant aunt watching his every move and the doctor (Vernon Dobtcheff) supporting this kid-gloves approach, i...

        November 17, 2024

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