Garden Party (2017)

Directed by: Florian Babikian, Vincent Bayoux, Victor Caire, Théophile Dufresne, Gabriel Grapperon, Lucas Navarro | 7 minutes | animation, short film

‘Garden Party’ is a remarkable and colorful co-production by six students from the French L’École du cinéma d’animation. The animated film follows some adventurous frogs and toads who go on a quest in an abandoned villa. We see how the amphibians happily nosing around in the stately home. One of the frogs is chasing a butterfly, while a bulky and very greedy toad gorges on caviar and other leftovers apparently left behind after a big feast. When a frog inadvertently turns on the pool’s music, outdoor lighting and fountains, more and more insects and amphibians flock to the villa for an animal garden party. As we follow the amphibians on their journey, we as viewers slowly but surely discover that something is not quite right. The owner of the maison is nowhere to be seen, some windows have bullet holes and there is a gun on one of the tables. The mystery is finally cleared up in the surprising yet slightly morbid final act of this short adventure…

‘Garden Party’ is animation technical of a very high level. The frogs and toads look lifelike and stand out because of their truthful contours, specific movements and expressive facial expressions. The interior and exterior of the abandoned villa is also beautifully designed and reveals a good eye for even the most minute details. The tone is mainly light to slightly comical, but at times also has a more dark, semi-apocalyptic undertone. The villa seems to have a dark past. The fact that the frogs and toads gradually take over the abandoned mansion during the film illustrates that nature usually recovers very quickly if we humans decide to stop somewhere.

‘Garden Party’ is an endearing and aesthetically pleasing gem. The digital animation is of a very high level, while the story is fun and ultimately quite surprising. An Oscar-worthy short film that should certainly not be missed if you have a thing for animation films in general and animals in particular.