Some Thing

The three majestic mountains are impressive, and their riches incite such desire! One of them can use its oil to draw, another gleams brilliantly thanks to its gold, and the third spits fire like a dragon! The little mountain tries to come up with something to show them in return and eventually produces a small seed of who-knows-what – which he soon thinks looks ridiculous compared to what the others have. But the mysterious item has plenty of surprises in store … This is a hugely endearing short film thanks to its child-like graphics and the triangular characters who inhabit a sober but colourful set featuring a yellow background and clouds. Another aspect that distinguishes this from other films aiming to talk to young viewers about nature is that its main characters are mountains, not animals. Director Elena Walf chose to use 2D graphics even if that meant occasionally distorting the symmetry of the faces – with, for instance, one eye above the other when the characters are shown from the side. Such details add to the child-like style of the imagery, emphasising the innocence of the point. Even though the three big mountains have plentiful natural resources, they don’t have the most important resource, the one that is the most mighty and greatest of all. We see that being the biggest – and the richest – does not make you the most powerful; and the little mountain’s seed has something magical … Some Thing is a beautiful homage to nature and the tiny whatsits that produce great things. It offers a moment of humour and poetry to be enjoyed by the whole family.