Marmote Intrepide

Julie has a cast on her arm. To keep it safe whilst she heals, her dad wants her to stay in the house. Her boy scout best friend has other ideas. They were supposed to be going to camp together, and he is determined to stay true to that mission, no matter what.

A brief slice of life delivered through wonderful, fresh performances, Marmote Intrepide (which translates as ‘intrepid gopher’) is one of the most delightful shorts at this year’s Fantasia. There are echoes of Moonrise Kingdom but this reflects a still more innocent stage in life. The boy’s mission is intricately (though perhaps not very cleverly) planned, right down to the ladder for use in freeing the prisoner and the getaway vehicle driven by a long suffering big brother. It is approached with the seriousness of a dangerous operation behind enemy lines, yet Julie’s father, attempting to counter the incursion, seems only to grow more fond of the kids even as he shouts at them.

It’s tough wanting to join in with the fun but having to be a dad, tricky to balance admiring cleverness with the worry that it’ll get kids into trouble, and these emotions are perfectly captured in a work that is no less sharp because of its light-heartedness. Viewers, too, will be egging the kids on whilst understanding why this is a bad idea, but the probability is that no harm will come to anyone, and it’s the smallness of it all, combined with the intensity of life at that age, that makes this such a joy.