Mystery of the Secret Room

Mystery of the Secret Room

| 5 min

This animated short introduces us to Grace, a 10-year-old girl who uses her creative superpowers to navigate the emotional landscape of her mother's depression. It's an inspiring portrait of family, adversity, and resilience.

Using hand-drawn animation to bring two distinct worlds together – the muted, solid world of reality and the saturated palette of Grace's imagination – the film offers a textured story full of surprises, challenges, and emotions. A moving collaboration between writer/filmmaker Wanda Nolan and animator Claire Blanchet.

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Mystery of the Secret Room, Wanda Nolan, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

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Credits
  • writer
    Wanda Nolan
  • director
    Wanda Nolan
  • art director
    Claire Blanchet
  • animation supervisor
    Claire Blanchet
  • animation
    Hyun Jin Park
    Claire Blanchet
    Simon Cottee
    Malcolm Sutherland
  • compositing
    Fred Casia
  • original music
    Jeff Johnston
  • sound design
    Kyle Stanfield
  • violin
    Kate Bevan-Baker
  • clarinet
    Louise Campbell
  • piano
    Jeff Johnston
  • foley
    Lise Wedlock
  • foley recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • music recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • technical director
    Éloi Champagne
  • technical animation coordinator
    Randall Finnerty
  • still photography
    Victoria Wells
    Carol Kean
  • titles
    Mélanie Bouchard
  • online editor
    Serge Verreault
  • re-recording
    Jean Paul Vialard
  • post-production supervisor
    Jean-François Laprise
    Roslyn Power
  • post-production assistant
    Mylène Augustin
  • senior production coordinator
    Kelly Davis
  • studio administrator
    Leslie Anne Poyntz
  • marketing manager
    Melissa Wheeler
  • legal counsel
    Dominique Aubry
  • associate producer
    Jon Montes
  • producer
    Annette Clarke
  • executive producer
    Annette Clarke

  • Robin Chase

    A very beautiful movie. You can feel the connection between the two without even reading the synopsis.

    Robin Chase, 20 Sep 2021
  • Hassles

    Very insightful, equally clever, Wanda's comprehension / empathy impressive.

    Hassles, 22 Sep 2020
  • Hassles

    Fabulous in every respect!

    Hassles, 23 Dec 2019

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