In this third feature film by the talented Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, we meet Nina and Mehdi, two children on the threshold of adolescence. Every evening, Nina falls asleep to the sound of her father’s voice. Drawing inspiration from his daily life, he tells her the story of a little hedgehog who struggles to find his place in the world because of his prickles. A beautiful metaphor for the inner life of this man, who works at a factory while also being a gifted illustrator. In a 1930s cartoon style reminiscent of Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes, the little hedgehog magically comes to life and accompanies Nina on her adventures.
Following the closure of the factory where he worked, Nina’s father finds himself unemployed, and bedtime stories are no longer part of the routine. But Nina has learned well and knows how to bring enchantment into everyday life. With striking common sense and disarming naïveté, she decides to sneak into her father’s factory to recover money stolen by the villainous boss before it shut down. That way, her father won’t need to work again or move to the other side of the country. A leader at heart, Nina brings Mehdi—secretly in love with her—along on her quest.
As they cross a sublime forest whose delicate linework recalls the paintings of Henri Rousseau, the two children grow a little more mature. The forest once again serves as a symbol of transition from childhood to adulthood. On the other side lies the adult world—the factory—a harsh and hostile place from which one must protect oneself. Yet through Nina’s eyes, this abandoned building becomes a vast playground where an investigation unfolds, one that might just bring her father’s smile back.
Carried by the voices of Guillaume Canet (Nina’s father) and Audrey Tautou (Nina’s mother), the film delicately portrays parent–child relationships. We encounter parents who are worn down yet responsible, and children who are reckless but full of vitality. In this intersection of emotions and energies lies great tenderness—surely that of the filmmakers’ gaze, whose sensitivity permeates every frame. Nina and the Secret of the Hedgehog, a suspenseful film that captivates through its rhythm, editing, and music, is also a jewel of animation. Hand-drawn and then digitally colored, each shot dazzles with its beauty, subverting the conventions of perspective and proportion to better capture our attention.
