In just six minutes this magnificent short coming from Pixar’s SparkShorts program drives home a very important message –  never be afraid to ask for help.

‘Burrow’ by Madeline Sharafian is the story of a young bunny rabbit who is trying to make her dream home and find her tiny space in the community. On her burrowing journey, she encounters various fellow beings big and small who all live underground. Some friendly, some reserved and some simply not interested in her. The bunny faces all her emotions like fear, embarrassment and apprehension, but most importantly her fear of trusting others and the fear of being mocked. Uncomfortable in each neighbourhood, she burrows deeper and deeper till she reaches (quite literally) rock bottom. The fiercely independent bunny has no choice but to let go of her apprehensions and seek the help of her fellow underground beings.

Made in just six months, ‘Burrow’ is impressive to say the least. Madeline chose to go with a classic hand-drawn 2D style because she had worked in this style before and she was prepared to take on a large part of the work on herself. The film is a beautiful homage to classic children’s books and even features backgrounds reminiscent of Beatrix Potter, Richard Scarry, and Jill Barklem.

Filled to the brim with charmingly simple and yet amazingly intricate settings like a frog library, a salamander sauna room and a beetle restaurant, this short forces you to rewatch the burrowing montages to take it all in. Told completely without dialogue, the film is visually stimulating and touches a sentiment that is universal in appeal.

What makes this short truly outstanding apart from all the cuteness that will make you want to curl up with ‘Burrow’, is how relevant it is in today’s day and age. In a time when we are getting increasingly distant from our neighbours, we tend to hide away and refrain from asking for help. Madeline has said she made this film as a reminder to herself that she could always open up to new opportunities by letting people into her life. ‘Burrow’ is a testament to the power of building new bonds and supporting your neighbour.

‘Burrow’ released on 25th December 2020 and is streaming on Disney+