The Pyramids Of Egypt

An archaeologist gets more than he bargained for in this animated short from Corentin Charron, Lise Corriol, Olivier Lafay, which although made in France, is dialogue-free so it can be enjoyed by all ages.

He's digging in the desert when he comes across something he doesn't expect - what initially looks like a rather posh piece of stone with hieroglyphics turns out to be a lot more technological than that, opening an unexpected door to the world of the pyramids.

As you might expect, it's the camel that steals the show, with the animators taking the simple idea of them being a sort of goat of the desert, that will eat anything, and running with it. First seen chewing on a paintbrush, he's soon getting his teeth into more than that, offering the writer/directors an opportunity to spin a series of sight gags, which work well, matched by a wide range of enjoyably comical facial expressions on the camel himself.

This short is bright and brisk at less than four minutes but the wit is as dry as the desert and there's never a dull moment.