Letter to a Pig


Letter to a Pig is a 2022 Israeli-French animated short film written and directed by Tal Kantor. The 17-minute animated film about generational trauma has been awarded in various international film festivals, including the Jerusalem Film Festival, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the Annecy International [Animation Film Festival] and the Chicago International Children's Film Festival. The film was nominated for the 96th Academy Awards for Academy Award for [Best Animated Short Film|Best Animated Short Film] but lost to ''War Is Over!''

Plot

On 'Memorial Day', a Holocaust survivor reads a letter he wrote to the pig who saved his life to a classroom full of teenagers.
Whilst listening to his testimony, a young schoolgirl sinks into a twisted dream where she confronts questions of collective trauma, memory and identity.

Release

The 17-minute short about collective memory and identity premiered as part of the 2022 San Francisco International Film Festival and won the Award for Best Short Film at the 2022 Israeli Film Academy Awards. The film was shortlisted at the 2023 César Awards and has been featured in a number of international film festivals, receiving accolades such as the Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short Animation at the Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Zlatko Grgic Award at the 2022 Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films.

Accolades

Since its release, the film has been selected in various festivals around the world:
YearFestivalsAward/CategoryStatus
2022Zagreb World Festival of Animated FilmsZlatko Grgic AwardWon
2022Zagreb World Festival of Animated FilmsGrand Prize: Short Films Competition
2022San Francisco International Film FestivalGolden Gate Award for Best Animated Short
2022Ottawa International Animation FestivalGrand Prize for Best Narrative ShortWon
2022Chicago International Children's Film FestivalLiv Ullman Peace Prize Won
2022Jerusalem Film FestivalThe Jerusalem Development Authority Award for Best Animation FilmWon
2022Jerusalem Film FestivalAward for Israeli Cinema
2022Israeli Film Academy AwardsBest Short FilmWon
2022Annecy International Animated Film FestivalCristal for Best Short
2022Grand Prix
2023Grand Prix: International Competition
2023Kustendorf International Film and Music FestivalThe Golden Egg Festival PrizeWon
2023Grand Prize for Best international Short FilmWon
2023Best Short FilmWon
2023Aesthetica Short Film FestivalBest AnimationWon
202496th Academy AwardsBest Animated Short Film