Wolf, Are You There? (Loup, y es-tu?)

This is dark.  Created by a group of Rubika students, this animated shorts tells the story of Mischa, a girl who seems to be left pretty much to her own devices by the adults who surround her.  The short is symbolicaslly rich – Mischa makes a violin out of paper, which perhaps shows the fragility of anything beautiful or special in her world.  As she proceeds around the apartment in a vain attempt to play for the “monsters” who inhabit the apartment (ie the adults) she is met with ill-temper, disregard and finally interest, but not in her music.

The wolf of the title is always there and always closing in… “Loup, y es-tu ?” (“Wolf, are you there?”) is a very well-known French children’s game and song. It’s commonly played in nursery and primary schools in France and other French-speaking places. The game works a bit like “What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?” in English-speaking countries.  Whether or not the wolf will eat Mischa in the end, you must discover for yourself.  This is an incredibly striking animation, which will stay with you afterwards.  The design, from characters to backgrounds is outstanding.

Well done to the Rubika students involved in the creation of this remarkably mature yet sombre piece of art with deep psychological undertones.  It was directed by Louise Laurent, Alizée Vandevalle, Emma Fessart, Jeanne Galland, Célina Lebon and Annouck François, with music by Mathis Coopman and sound design by Louise Laurent. This is a challenging watch but a rewarding one.