This film is a famous animator Garri Bardin’s sensational adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale. It combines Tchaikovsky’s ballet music with a lovely tale of the unwanted duckling who finds happiness in his true self. But this film is not just a sweet and delightful adaptation of a much treasured children’s story. A poignant portrayal of loneliness and prejudice, The Ugly Duckling cries out against the ever decreasing personal freedoms and the growing xenophobia and racism in Russian society. Composer Sergei Anashkin’s arrangement and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, under the baton of the famous conductor, Vladimir Spivakov, add a charm to the film.