Fairy Tale Discussion Club: The Secret of Singing Birds

Nine-year-old Lucie had no plans to become a detective. She only came on vacation to her mother, an archaeologist conducting excavations at the foot of a medieval castle. However, when a pair of tits stubbornly lead her to the same place, the girl, along with her friend Yann, stumble upon a mysterious disappearance from years ago. The investigation leads through ruins, forest paths and... family secrets, and subsequent discoveries turn out to be more important than they initially thought.

Antoine Lanciaux's French animation turns archaeological excavations into a detective adventure in which the past literally comes out from under the ground. The film, made in an unusual technique of paper cutouts, impresses with intricate art resembling a lively book illustration, and from a seemingly small puzzle builds a story about memory, family and discovering one's own roots. It is a film that reminds us that the greatest mysteries do not always wait at the end of the world, sometimes they are right under our feet.

Topics covered during the course: friendship and cooperation, discovering family secrets, identity and memory of the past, self-reliance, archaeology

Lecture and discussion moderator: Klaudia Dzierugo

Sensitive content: the theme of the fire, the mysterious disappearance of a family member and elements of tension.