The Tinderbox Against the Magic Well

The Tinderbox Against the Magic Well is a Russian fantasy musical inspired by a story from H.C. Andersen. The plot follows a traveling storyteller named Little Hans who uses a magic box and puppets to construct a new fairytale alongside his audience. As the story unfolds, some characters begin to act independently of their puppet master. The narrative involves a Danish king who imprisons his daughter and executes storytellers to prevent a prophecy about the princess marrying a soldier. While the soldier is sent to war, a deceitful police chief attempts to marry the princess by using magical objects. The film features woodpunk robot dogs, puppet theater, and various dance and song sequences, emphasizing themes of friendship and love.

Andjei Petras directed and wrote the screenplay for the film, which was produced by Anastasiya Razlogova through the production company Kamer-Ton-Film-Russia. The movie has a runtime of 99 minutes and was released on August 6, 2026.