This is the story of a young girl and a young boy, Abel and Apolline. Apolline lives in the summer and Abel lives in the winter and so by their very natures they are never supposed to meet – there must always be a barrier in between them. Yet the two children live isolated lives and it is only a matter of time before they come across each other in the forest in which they dwell. Yet when they do meet – and summer and winter collide – they soon realise that to co-exist is much more difficult than either of them may have imagined.
This is a very sweet if not somber animated short, directed by
Carlos De Carvalho and
Aude Danset and I found it entrancing. It is almost, I imagine, like a long lost piece by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, discovered and brought to us for the first time. It also goes to show that animation aimed at children does not necessarily have to have a happy ending and that, on occasion, bitter sweet tells the best tale.
