The Feather Fairy

The Feather Fairy (Slovak: Perinbaba) is a 1985 Slovakian film adaptation of a Brothers Grimm's "Mother Hulda" short story directed by Slovak director Juraj Jakubisko. A fairy tale about an immortal woman who cares for snow and a boy who isn't afraid of death.^[1]

The Feather Fairy
Directed by	Juraj Jakubisko
Written by	Brothers Grimm (original) Juraj Jakubisko Ľubomír Feldek
Produced by	Slovenská filmová tvorba, Bratislava / Omnia Film, Munich
Starring	Giulietta Masina Valerie Kaplanová Soňa Valentová Tobias Hoesl
Music by	Petr Hapka
Release date	1985 (1985)
Running time	95 minutes
Countries	West Germany Czechoslovakia
Language	Slovak

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Synopsis

A fairy tale not only for children about Jacob, who through his courage, manages to trick death. The film plays with people's never-ending desire for happiness, love and victory over death. Mrs Winter, The Feather Fairy, rules the world and also, being so open-hearted, raises little Jacob, who almost died in an avalanche. Life in the fairytale is perfect: the little boy is immortal, he doesn't get older, and he has everything. Even though his life is perfect, he watches human life through a looking glass. He sees a young girl Alžbetka growing into a young lady, and he desires to be a normal person and live with his love. Jakubisko: “What you do now with the special digital effects we did without them. My friend Federico Fellini persuaded Giulietta Masina to be the Feather Fairy and she brought a spark and lightness to the story.”

Film Awards

• Zlín Film Festival 1986
  • Special Jury Prize
• Slovak Film Medal 1986
• XXIV. Festival of Czech and Slovak Film 1986
  • Prize for art production
• IV. Film Festival for youth Lyon 1986
  • Young Audience Member's Prize for best film
• UNICEF Grand Prix, 1986
• Film Festival in Belgrade 1986
  • Audience Prize for best film
• XLII.Venice Film Festival 1986
  • Catholic Prize
• Venice Film Festival 1986
  • Certificate of Merit RAI II
• Gijón International Film Festival 1986
  • Jury Prize for the best special effects
• International Film Festival Rimouski 1988
  • Grand Prize Camerio
• I. International Film Festival for children Buenos Aires 1988
  • Grand Prize

Premiere screening

1 November 1985

Sequel

A sequel called Perinbaba: Two Realms came out in 2023.