The Bear and the Bird
Réalisation : Marie Caudry
Genre : Animated film, Short film, Youth
Nationality : France
Sortie : 1er avril 2026
Adapted from the youth album The bear’s letters by Gauthier David and Marie Caudry (Casterman, 2017), The Bear and the Bird is a short 26-minute animated film aimed at young children aged 3 and up. A delicate story that addresses separation, lack and risk-taking for love.
The Bear and the Bird love each other deeply. Their complicity unfolds to the rhythm of nature, surrounded by familiar friends: the beaver, the badger and the vixen. While the latter prepare to hibernate, the birds prepare to migrate. For the Bear and the Bird, the arrival of winter means a long separation. Unable to cope, the Bear refuses to hibernate and decides to go south alone, in search of the Bird that has already flown away.
A journey from winter to spring
On its route, the Bear crosses mountains, rivers, forests, and even the sea. This natural environment populated by very real animals is also punctuated with fantastical touches. Volcanoes let smoke escape from human faces, an island hosts a psychedelic carnival where animals dance, an eccentric rabbit appears around the corner. Each ordeal tests the determination of the Bear, but nothing is frightening: the atmosphere remains serene, carried by warm and enveloping voices.
Love, dare, grow
After having illustrated the album, Marie Caudry moves on to direct it here. We find in the film elements of the epistolary style of the book, with the Bear speaking in voice-over to the absent Bird. If the theme of passionate love may surprise very young children, the story is above all about travel and courage. The Bear takes the risk of not hibernating, the Bird takes the risk of coming back earlier and facing winter. A gentle odyssey, slightly disturbing but deeply caring, that little ones follow while impatiently awaiting the moment of reunion.
