Date & Time: Sunday 8th March at 11.00am
Details: Antoine Lanciaux / France / 2025 / 77 mins / animation
Family Film
“A beautiful feature, depicting a little girl’s summertime investigation into her family’s past with great narrative and visual tenderness.
Wholly made with cut paper, The Songbirds’ Secret proves to be a work of great sensitivity, full of the softness of childhood and typical experiences of holidays in the countryside (woodland and farmland creatures, tractors, old mopeds, casual adventures, etc.). Imbuing the film with a spirit which seems half-way between The Famous Five and Scooby-Doo and which is highly accessible to younger audiences, the director spins a delicate yarn touching upon family ties (and wounds) which have been undone by the vagaries of life, while slowly and suggestively drawing the most out of the story’s natural setting. It results in a luminous and visually beautiful film which is both humble and technically subtle, a movie which will win over the youngest viewers, stir up good summer memories for older audiences.” Cineuropa
Best Animation/Animated Feature, Golden Goblet Award, Shanghai International Film Festival, China
Audience Award, Lucas Film Festival, Germany