Tad's Nest

The titular tads are young eels, or young girls, or memories, beautifully illustrated with animated painting on glass. Visually expressionistic, this film is aided by sound that is large - almost overwhelming at times with the surge of waves or the accordion. It's whimsical in places, magical, close to being a fairy tale in the old sense - frightening and enlightening.

The characterisation is well done, the creatures living in the trees, the trees themselves, the two little girls and the splashing of the eels. The painted techniques lend themselves to water, to motion, beautifully so.

Petra Freeman's art is amazing, the water effects in particular are notable, but stylistically this is captivating work. Using the music of Sofia Gubaidulina and the accordian of Geir Draugsvoll gives it the air of a story being recited at a cultural event, but even without it Pete Howell's crisp sound design would, does, draw us into the film. This film is sensational, in a literal sense, painterly evocations of scene matched with technical excellence. Focusing on cycles, eels returning, memory, it could perhaps have done with another round, but that might just be greed. It's available to watch online, and you should do so.