Jeż Jerzy

The animated film George the Hedgehog draws on the popularity of the satirical underground strip cartoon featuring the very same hero, a hedgehog who’s a big fan of skateboarding, who likes his beer and enjoys his status as a womaniser. In the cult comic series the filmmakers have used their humorous insight over a number of years to comment on a variety of topical domestic social themes, and also to criticise the country’s political scene. In the film, hedgehog George has to do battle with a mad scientist who wants to clone him and he must also contend with the latter’s pea-brained, skinhead henchmen, Zenek and Stefan. George must fight to regain not only his identity, but also the affections of his beloved Jola. As in the cartoon series on which the film is based, the authors use their refreshing and often considerably black sense of humour to take pot shots at the various ills of Polish society, including right-wing extremism; the Catholic Church doesn’t come out unscathed either. The main character is voiced by one of Poland’s most popular young actors, Borys Szyc. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)