Biography

Starevich´s childhood passion for entomology led his career: he began producing short documentaries in Moscow around 1909-1910, beginning with a documentary about insects in Lithuania. In his spare time, he experimented with stop-action films using beetles, which he articulated by wiring 
the legs to the thorax with sealing wax! This, of course, led to his big breakthrough, released by the Van Kanjonkov Studio of Moscow: "The Battle of the Stag Beetles", the first puppet-animated film.

Starewicz' popularity grew quickly... his third film, "The Ant & The Grasshopper", earned him an honor from the Tsar himself. At that time Starewicz also played some comedic roles in polish dramas, decorated some churches (!), and "people say he always drew attention to himself at the ball by wearing the most wonderful costumes." He produced dozens of works during this period, including "Insects Aviation Week" (1912), "Four Devils" (1913) and "Voyage To the Moon" (1913).

The Russian Revolution caused Wladyslaw to emigrate. He fled to Paris, France, arriving in 1920, where he became known as Ladislas Starevich. He settled in a villa in Fontenay-sous-Bois, where he spent the rest of his life producing surreal, lyrical animation. With great patience and attention to detail, he wrote or adapted the stories; designed and built the puppets, sets and costumes; articulated every movement; and shot each film frame-by-frame, often without continuity notes. After 1924, his daughter, Irene (aka Nina Starr), assisted with and appeared in many of his films.

Fiercely independent, Starewicz rejected lucrative offers from American animation studios, rather than relinquish creative control.

At his villa home, he was known for his generosity and hospitality, especially to his fellow refugees from the Soviet Union.

Although "The Mascot" is his best known film in America, his best film is probably "The Tale of the Fox (Le Roman de Renard," a film which took over ten years to make, and is considered to be one of the very best stop-motion films ever made. At his death in 1965, he left one unfinished work: "Like Dog and Cat".