The Mole Goes To The Beach

Ah, beach holidays. They look so tranquil in the brochure. But one little mole gets considerably more than he bargains for when he leaves his polluted roadside hole and heads for the seaside in Anna Kadykova's humorous animation.

Like Fokion Xenos' more recent claymation Heatwave, the beach is packed with other animals, each fighting for their square inch of sand, so that every time mole pops his head up, he finds it sat on or tugged at.

Kadykova has an eye for detail - from the car rubbish that mole has used to decorate his nest and fashion a set of scuba gear, to the menagerie of creatures she creates on the beach. Although the mole's features are simple that allows his facial expressions to speak volumes as he tries to find a bit of space. Kadykova also keeps the sight gags coming, not just in mole's unfortunate encounters but also in the way the other animals, all crammed together, behave - I particularly enjoyed the elephants toasting themselves in perfectly synchronised harmony.

The 'lift music' style soundtrack from Alexey Chizhikfits perfectly until little mole finally gets a piece of peace.