Dougal is a little swallow who lives comfortably in a tree-top house whose colour scheme is like something straight out of an apartment by the architect Le Corbusier. Everything seems to be going perfectly peachy for our feathered friend until he encounters another swallow, Lucy. Dougal is instantly besotted with her and would very much like to spread his wings and migrate south with her. But unfortunately he has a problem: every night he has a terrifying nightmare in which he plummets from the sky. But even though he can’t bring himself to fly, he is willing to head south to join the beautiful swallow under the coconut trees.
The short film by the young Irish director Conor Finnegan is full of cinematic references and whisks us stylishly off on a marvellous adventure with this frightened bird. When, one frigid night, a squirrel, who is at the very least unsettling, raids poor Dougal, the look and feel, and the sound effects – with sudden appearances, purposeful and ominous music – practically plunge us into a thriller. Later, the bird leaves his tree-top house in the middle of a snowstorm to set off southwards by walking, as best he can. That is the prelude to a scene worthy of an epic fresco, accompanied by grandiose music that would not be out of place soundtracking an army marching to war. In contrast, the sequences featuring Lucy, the swallow with whom he is smitten, come with tropical tunes and sunny colours evoking cheesy romcoms. These nods to the long history of popular cinema almost qualify the film as a parody. Very young viewers probably won’t grasp these allusions but will surely enjoy the captivating music and the visual treat offered by this sweet short film featuring felt puppets and digital designs in sets made from drawings and cut paper.
