NASRUDIN THE WISE FOOL

Ever since the 13th century, Mullah Nasrudin has lived everywhere and nowhere at once. At times he’s clever, then again dumb, deceitful or foolish, but he’s always wise. On his donkey he travels through the world, telling people what they do not want to hear.

NASRUDIN MEETS THE 21ST CENTURY

The three short animations were conceived as proof-of-concept episodes for a potential larger series where I adapted traditional Nasrudin stories to contemporary settings, bringing his timeless wisdom and foolishness into the age of TED Talks, Facebook and mobile phones. Taking the project further would have required additional funding and a broadcasting partner, so for now, it remains at three episodes.

The animations were written and directed by me and brought to life by the wonderful Xaver Boehm, who was much more than an animator. He became an essential part of the storytelling, filling the gaps in my scripts with his own visual ideas, subtle details and humour. This built on a creative collaboration that started with Türkischer Marsch and continued with Cinovu.

Our collaboration also brought me to Berlin, where I fell in love with the city and ended up staying for almost a decade. Funny how life works out. I couldn't be more grateful!

EPISODES

NASRUDIN’S ORIGINS

Nasrudin is commonly associated with 13th-century Anatolia though precise historical origins remain uncertain. Over the centuries, he became one of the great wise fools of folklore, with stories spreading from Italy and North Africa to Russia and China. Sometimes witty, sometimes wise, and often just a fool, Nasrudin uses humour and absurdity to expose the contradictions of human behaviour. While his stories entertain, they usually carry a lesson.

From the Near East, Middle East and Central Asia many cultures have claimed Nasrudin as their own and his name has been spelled in a variety of ways: Nasrudeen, Nasrudin, Nasruddin, Nasrud-Din, Nasredin, Naseeruddin, Nastrad-hin, Nasreddine, Nastratin, Nusrettin, Nasrettin, Nostradin, Nastradin and Nazaruddin. Even his title changes across languages and cultures: Mullah, Mulla, Mula, Molla, Efendi, Afandi, Ependi, Hajji, Hoxha, Khwaje, Hodja, Hoja, Hojja, Hodscha, Hodža, Hoca and Hogea.

Over generations, stories from different traditions have merged, evolved and become part of a larger whole that continues to reinvent itself. Nasrudin belongs to many cultures, and each has left its own mark on him.