In a world where headlines are dominated by the horrors of war, it can be easy to lose sight of the most vulnerable victims: children. Legendary musician Kate Bush brings this painful reality into sharp focus with her new animated short film, Little Shrew. Written, directed, and soundtracked by Bush herself, the four-minute animation is a heartbreaking look at how conflict shatters the lives of the innocent.
A Shrew’s Perilous Journey
Little Shrew follows the story of a Ukrainian pygmy shrew, captivated by a mysterious orb of light emanating from the cosmos. As the tiny creature emerges from its hiding spot in the pocket of a fallen soldier’s coat, the full devastation of war is revealed. The shrew must navigate a treacherous landscape, dodging bombs and drones as it searches for safety.
Watching its sinewy little body, twisting in fear and rent by the force of an exploding bomb, is close to unbearable.
Ben Beaumont-Thomas, The Guardian
A Mother’s Lament
Bush’s choice to center the story around a shrew is a poignant one. As she explains in an accompanying essay, the creature serves as a symbol for the children caught in the conflict – confused, vulnerable, and often voiceless in the face of trauma. The film is set to an edited version of “Snowflake,” a duet between Bush and her son Bertie from her 2011 album 50 Words for Snow.
Although I’d originally written the song to capture his beautiful descant voice before he entered adolescence, it has taken on a haunting new meaning within the context of this animation.
Kate Bush on her son Bertie’s performance in “Snowflake”
A Collaboration of Talents
Bush wrote and directed Little Shrew, storyboarding the film from her own sketches. She collaborated with illustrator Jim Kay, known for his work on Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls and pictorial editions of the Harry Potter series, to bring her vision to life. The animation studio Inkubus then brought the sketches into motion.
An Ambiguous Ending
In a bold creative choice, Bush leaves the ending of Little Shrew open to interpretation. As the shrew tumbles through darkening space, never quite reaching the safety of the cosmic light, Bush underscores the uncertain fate that awaits so many children affected by war. It’s a somber reminder that for these innocent lives, there is often no clear end in sight.
Bush undermines the sentimentality all the more by writing an ambiguous ending… Bush underlines there is no end in sight for children affected by war, except for an ending forced on them.
Ben Beaumont-Thomas, The Guardian
A Cry for the Unheard
In the end, Little Shrew stands as a testament to the countless children whose lives have been upended by conflicts they had no part in creating. Through her haunting animation and soul-stirring soundtrack, Kate Bush has given voice to the voiceless, ensuring that their stories will not go unheard. It’s a devastating work of art that will linger long after the final frame.
