Nightwitch film

I mean --

OMG IT'S A NIGHTWITCH FILM!

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I HAVE WANTED SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

The women were part of the Soviet Union’s all-female 588th Night Bomber Regiment, and among the world’s first female combat flight pilots. In the dark, they’d cut their engines and fly close to the ground to hit their targets; the sound made the Germans think of a witch’s broom. In making a short film to honor Ms. Popova, who died in July, I sought to emphasize the fairy-tale quality of the Night Witches’ story. 

I teamed with the animator Dustin Grella (creator of a previous Op-Doc and a short film, “Prayers for Peace,” which memorialized his brother, who died in combat in Iraq). He draws each frame of his animations in pastels on slate, providing a stark quality that complements the historical narrative.