Lights Out

Few mockumentaries can ever hope to achieve the charm of this claymation short made by Orkney schoolchildren. With a simple but strong story, engaging characters and an irreverent sense of humour, it's a delight throughout.

Though it's narrated by a swivel-eyed seagull, the stars of the film are a group of seals who suffer from insomnia because of the bright light that keeps flashing on and off above their heads all night. With the help of their rabbit pal they hatch a scheme to put the light out for good. Unfortunately they haven't understood what it's for. After the lighthouse keeper is ingeniously disposed of, it's up to his cat to save the day - and to find a better solution for the seals.

With buckets of appeal for both children and adults, this film will remind older viewers of the better work of Cosgrove Hall. A huge amount of effort has clearly been put into the model work and the script is equally well formed, aware that less is sometimes more. The Greek-style chorus go on a bit, but that's one of the film's running jokes. It's remarkable to see something like this come out of a youth project and it bodes well for the filmmaking ambitions of its creators.