Great Britain

The Emperor of China's palace is the most beautiful palace in the world and everything in it is quite perfect. Why then does nobody except the little kitchen girl know about the most beautiful thing of all the song of the Nightingale? Even when he hears the Nightingale, the Emperor prefers a jewel-encrusted mechanical copy, which delights his silly courtiers with its dull, repetitive song. But years later, when Death comes, the Emperor realises his folly.

The Nightingale brings together once again the talented team who made the immensely successful Tales of Beatrix Potter. This time, however, instead of ballet dancers they have assembled a cast of puppets to people the Emperor's court. The elaborate costumes and intricate interiors of the imperial palace reveal the love, care and attention to detail which have gone into the making and which are the hallmarks of any Goodwin/Edzard production. The result is a disarmingly beautiful film of a delightful tale by Hans Christian Andersen.