The Flying Carpet

Director: Gennadiy Kazansky
Year Released: 1958

The Flying Carpet, also known as Old Man Khottobych, was based on a children's book written by Lazar Lagin. It is absolutely full of propaganda, humor, and special effects.

The film begins with a Young Pioneer, Volka, discovers an old vessel at the bottom of a river. A genie emerges when he opens it. The genie is ready to fulfill any of Volka's wishes, but it becomes clear that in a perfect Soviet state, there is nothing that a young boy like Volka would ever want to change.

Khottobych constantly makes mistakes about what to give the Volka. For instance, when there is a long line at the phone booth, Khottobych makes a new phone booth for Volka to use. Not knowing what the booth is used for, he mistakenly creates a phone of pure marble. Later, when the genie is trying to give Volka gifts, Volka continually refuses (first a palace and then tons of slaves and animals). In the end, Khottobych is taught the real way of the world by two young pioneers,  eventually joining the ever-popular circus.

I absolutely adored this film.