Catherine (2017)

Directed by: Britt Raes | 12 minutes | animation, short film

Catherine, the namesake of these Flemish shorts, is only a toddler when she has already helped several pets to the afterlife. She doesn’t do that on purpose, but it just happens: she simply cannot keep them alive. From a teddy bear to a fish, from a bird to a dog: it turns out not to be a good match for the animal lover. Until Catherine gets a cat. Those nine lives come in handy and Catherine and cat become good friends. But of course a cat does not have eternal life and Catherine herself is also getting older.

‘Catherine’ is a self-willed animated film that combines black, sometimes even melancholy, humor with the message that nothing can stay the same forever. The circle of life, so to speak. The animations seem simple, but are very effective, with sweet details like the paw print turning into a heart. The fact that the backgrounds are not often filled in is irrelevant, this would only distract from the story unfolding in the foreground. Britt Raes has made a movie with ‘Catherine’ that stays with you, whether you are a cat person or not.