Pépé le Morse
2017 · 14m · France
Directed by Lucrèce Andreae
Genres: animation, dark comedy, family
Tones: darkly comic, melancholic, whimsical
A family descends on a cold, grey beach to support Grandma after the death of her eccentric, chain-smoking, sun-worshipping husband — and each family member processes the loss in their own oblivious way while young Lucas quietly bears witness.
Picked by Felix
The scouts
Naming your grandfather 'the walrus' based on a Russian beach cult and then making a César-winning cartoon about his death is the exact kind of unhinged premise that passes the 'wait, WHAT?' test.
Lucrèce Andreae's César and Annecy winner treats grief as a windblown beach shrug — the absurd grandfather mythology makes the loss land sideways and harder than a sincere version ever could.
Lucrèce Andreae's chain-smoking, sun-worshipping grandfather mourned by family processing in oblivious parallel while young Lucas bears witness. Cannes Palme d'Or short nominee and César winner — death handled with shrug and cartoon that lands harder than grief.
Reviews
explores family dynamics with passion and restraint at the same time
Festivals
- Cannes Film Festival — Short Films Competition 2017
- Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2017, Audience Award