Oscar Nominee Review: Burrow (Animated Short)

Burrow (2020)
Dir: Madeline Sharafian

Who is burrowing?
A young rabbit looking to make her first home underground, armed with a shovel and a simple plan.  She unintentionally pops in on all her neighbours, animals who also live underground.

What happens?
This rabbit is inexperienced, a bit overwhelmed by the close proximity of her neighbours, whose homes she keeps tunnelling into in her search for a place to make her own. Eventually, this leads to some structural damage that puts all their homes at risk.

How do they react?
All the neighbouring creatures are friendly, warm, and inviting. Not a single one reacts badly to being dropped in on unexpectedly by their new neighbour, nor do they scold her for her mistakes, even when it could cause them serious problems. They rally together, bringing the rabbit into their community. 

Why is it so uplifting?
I think there’s a lot going on in this little film, with themes of community, and maybe even lessons in how to assist someone who’s struggling with anxiety or other mental health difficulties. These universally supportive neighbours, without uttering a single word, are an example to us all. 

Where will I find this?
This is the short that would have been shown before ‘Soul’ in the theatrical run, but instead, it got a streaming release alongside the feature so it’s now available to watch on Disney+. It’s a charming six minutes of beautiful animation that (at this early stage) I think has a great chance at winning an Oscar.

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