Die große Reise des kleinen Elefanten

A little elephant playing soccer with a coconut in the desert is told that his nut has rolled to the ends of the earth. He immediately sets off to look for it. On the way, he meets other animal children who want to help him. They all realize that the end of each animal's life does not mean the end of the world. So the journey becomes longer and longer, the group of wanderers larger and larger, and finally, to the elephant's astonishment, the animals return to the starting point of the journey. And because they want to test their discovery that the earth is round like a coconut once again, they march around the equator once more.

Directed by Heinz Nagel, Die große Reise des kleinen Elefanten leans on a strong ensemble — Gina Presgott, Genia Lapuhs — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about animation titles of 1970.