A troupe of clowns gather to tell a xenophobic story of a Priest who finds a refugee woman washed up on a beach. After his parish rejects the woman, the Priest secretly takes her back to his chapel where he discovers she is with child.
When the refugee gives birth to her baby, the Priest, fueled by paranoia, tries to hide the woman in the forest but his village finds her and force the Priest to build a huge wall to keep her out. When the villagers spy the Priest with a child they set out to burn down his chapel.
With the infant in danger, the worlds of the story and the storytellers come crashing together as the woman breaks out of the narrative to confront the storytellers.
Director Joseph Wallace
Producer Loran Dunn Delaval Film (UK)
Co-producers Nicolas Schmerkin, Autour de Minuit (FR), Michal Podhradský, Animation People (CZ)
Executive producers Maisie Williams, Lowri Roberts
Year 2022
Duration 16:50
Techniques Puppet animation,cut out animation
Dialogue English (subtitles available)
Music Kit Wilson
Sound David Kamp
DOP & Production Designer Joseph Wallace
Supported by Czech Film Fund, CNC, BFI France
Screened at x60+ festivals, won x2 Grand Prix, x5 awards, received x6 long lists and nominations, x4 Special Mentions and x1 Pitching Prize.
WINNER, Pitching Prize, Visegrad Animation Forum, 2017
Nominated for the McLaren Award for Animation, Edinburgh Film Festival, Aug 2022
Special Mention, Best Independent Short, Stop Motion Montréal, Sept 2022
Nominated for Best of the South West Award, Encounters Short Film Festival, Sept 2022
Nominated for Best International Short Uppsala Film Festival, Oct 2022
Longlisted for Best Short Film, British Independent Film Awards 2022
WINNER Grand Prix for Best Short Film, Animage, Nov 2022
WINNER Best Direction, Animage, Nov 2022
Longlisted for British Short Animation, BAFTA 2023
WINNER, Best Animation, Hastings Rocks 2023
WINNER, Best Editing, Hastings Rocks 2023
Special Mention, Unifrance Prix du Court Métrage, Cannes 2023
WINNER, Golden River Award for Best Animation Film, River Film Festival, Jun 2023
Special Mention, Best International Short, Stop Motion Our Fest, Jun 2023
Vimeo Staff Pick, Jul 2023
Short of the Week, Official Premiere, Jul 2023
WINNER, Young Jury Award, Mecal, Jul 2023
Honourable Mention, Best Animation, Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, Oct 2023
WINNER, Grand Prix for Best Short Film, Animario, Nov 2023
Nominated for the Audience Award, British Animation Awards, Mar 2024