Here is the next post in my series on children’s animated films. This beautiful film is another favorite from my own childhood and something my children love as well. It was created in Hungary in 1981. And in Hungary it is called just Vuk and is based on the novel by István Fekete. I was happy to find it with English translation, so I could share it here with you. I hope you and your children enjoy it very much.
Story summary
The story is a about a little fox, Vuk, who in the beginning of the story becomes an orphan as the hunter comes and destroys his family. Vuk doesn’t know they are gone forever. A family friend, Karak, takes Vuk to live with him and becomes his parent and teaches Vuk everything he ought to know as a fox. As Vuk grows up he learns the truth about his family. And as he goes to take a closer look at his enemy he discovers the hunter also keeps a young vixen in a cage. The story goes on as Vuk and Karak rescue the vixen, named Foxy, who joins them into their new family. But in the process of the rescue Kara ends up being injured and dies after intentionally drawing attention to himself to save Vuk and Foxy. The story ends as Vuk and Foxy watch their own pups play around in a den.
What children could learn from it
Definitely not your typical Hollywood children story. But I think it is a beautiful story with many great lessons. The hunter killing Vuk’s family shows children how our actions against animal world have consequences that we should never forget about. And hunting and killing should never be taken lightly and done needlessly. Karak being shot in order to save Vuk is a great example of what is love, bravery and honor.
We don’t have any formal discussions following the film, but I do make some little comments here and there and Ale always makes mental notes of those.
I also found that sometimes even a good story might have an aspect I disagree with. In this example, as Vuk’s father at the beginning of the story goes on to steal rooster from the farm I pointed out to Ale that it wasn’t a good thing for him to do — to steal an animal from the farm. A fox is ought to hunt and catch mice and rodents, and that’s how they avoid conflict with people. I like for him to question what he watches and to consider that not everything a story teaches or shows could be correct. To not view the world in black and white and to think for himself with the data he already knows.