Fixing Luka

Luka is odd, and he has a keyhole in the back of his head. Lucy seeks to unlock her brother's mystery. What follows is a simple tale with a complex message.

Directed and animated by Jessica Ashman, with writing assistance from Rosie Crear and Paul Welsh, this is slight but no less affecting for it. There's a song from The State Broadcasters, and Pete MacDonald's music is another key element, but it's the visuals that truly delight.

Judith Johnstone's design and model making are tremendous; There's a wall made of stamps, a thimble pyramid, Luka himself as a swarf-headed imp, ducks in a row serving sometimes as chorus, toys and gears - the brain considered as a clockwork. One could if one was so modishly minded apply words like 'steampunk' but this is a far more considered approach - a system of thought through which the world is seen, and it's Lucy who believes the world follows simple rules of cam and gear and winding key. There are some real treats: the key-filled house in the forest seems a convergence of half a thousand fairy tales and fables, and even seemingly simple things like the motion of needle and thread are hypnotic to watch.

Animation is usually a collective effort, the scrap-book credits are a lovely touch - a design conceit echoed in the film's similarly charming website. A delicate stop-motion tale with a found-object aesthetic that charms, Fixing Luka is a treat.