To the Woods (2026)
Une Fugue
Director: Agnès Patron
Cast: Mayann Daniel, Dario Hardouin Spurio
On a warm summer evening inside a forest-bordered house with red walls and blue shutters, a four-year-old sister wakes her ten-year-old brother. She has made up her mind: tonight, they will go for a swim. The two children slip out through the open window into the dark. They weave past flowers, thorns, and trees until they reach the water, where star reflections shimmer and their small bodies float in stillness. But thunder growls in the distance, and it's time to head back. Hand in hand, Brother and Sister walk home—until Brother vanishes without a trace. Breathless, Sister chases, spins, and despairs. Is this hide-and-seek? A forest prank? Or is it her memory, years later, playing a cruel trick on her?
More About This Film
To the Woods is a French animated short about three friends who venture into a forest and encounter a strange world that gradually becomes disconnected from the safety and familiarity of everyday life. The film uses the woods as both a physical destination and an unsettling space of transformation.
Agnès Patron's animation style relies on expressive movement, carefully composed imagery and a growing sense of unease. The short is atmospheric rather than heavily dialogue-driven, allowing its visual storytelling and sound design to carry much of the emotional impact.
- Directed by Agnès Patron.
- Produced in France.
- The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival before its 2026 festival circulation.
- It is an animated short rather than a feature-length film.
- The film has circulated through international animation and short-film festivals.