Chickens

The film might be called Chickens, but the real star is an elephant. An initally petite pachyderm, it sits in a variety of rooms with nobody talking about it.

George Wu's film is a delight, the drawings of Meng-chai Lai convey so much with their lines that the addition of colour seems almost too much until it becomes clear that it is note perfect, and so too the score by Athos Tsiopani which manages to convey the same jaunty intent as every other element, as surely and as ably as a trunked and tusked tap dancer high-stepping in the background and a fez. Hot pink too, like a blush of realisation.

Part of Channel 4's Random Acts strand, this also screened as part of 2017's Edinburgh Film Festival. Four have been very good for short film, their Coming Up strand has served as incubator for any number of talents behind and before the camera, and this too is an indicator of ability. Wu's film might feature a fantastic creature but it is confident not only in establishing its rules but also in exploring them with economy and verve. In a reviewer's notebook that has so far this festival acquired phrases like 'mixed feelings on this' and 'what is real?' and 'full power carrier take-off' and 'the artist disappears' and 'meat swarf,' this film produced a page upon which is written 'super adorbs'.

Small and sweet, this is as satisfying a treat as a nice cup of tea and a biscuit.