Deep in Moss
Až po uši v mechu
Detailed parental analysis
Bert and Josephine's Strange Forest is an animated tale with a poetic and slightly mysterious atmosphere, oscillating between gentleness and unease. Two children venture into a forest populated by fantastical creatures and must learn to overcome their fears in order to care for it. The film is primarily aimed at young children, with a visual and narrative sensibility that can engage children up to seven or eight years old.
Underlying Values
The film builds its narrative around several complementary and well-articulated values. The central idea is that everyone possesses their own talent, but finding it requires time and perseverance, which gives the film an encouraging scope without falling into easy meritocracy. The arc of a nymph rejected because she cannot sing, and who eventually discovers what makes her unique, concretely illustrates the acceptance of differences without reducing it to a slogan. The protection of nature and the care given to the creatures of the forest ecosystem run through the entire narrative as a lived reality rather than as an imposed message.
Social Themes
Ecology is not a decorative pretext in this film: the two child protagonists maintain an active and responsible relationship with the forest and its inhabitants, which makes it a natural entry point for discussing with a child the notion of care towards living things. The message is neither anxiety-inducing nor moralising; it is rooted in the logic of the tale and remains accessible to a very young audience.
Violence
There is no violence as such, but the film plays on fear and suspense, notably through nocturnal sequences in the forest and visually unusual creatures. The exaggerated facial expressions of certain characters, with large eyes and rounded mouths, may provoke momentary fright in the youngest viewers. These moments are narratively justified and always resolved positively, but they deserve to be anticipated for children who are particularly sensitive to unusual imagery.
Strengths
The film distinguishes itself through a carefully crafted visual universe, with an artistic direction that gives the forest an almost tangible presence, both welcoming and unsettling depending on the moment. The narrative construction is honest: the characters' fears are taken seriously, the arcs of transformation are clear without being simplistic, and humour lightens the mood without undermining the emotion. For a young child, it is a tale that gently explores the question of otherness and self-confidence, without ever doing so in a didactic manner.
Age recommendation and discussion points
The film is suitable from age 4 onwards in the presence of an adult for children sensitive to nocturnal atmospheres or visually unusual characters, and fully accessible from age 6 onwards independently. After viewing, two angles are worth exploring with the child: asking them what they think of the rejected nymph's talent and why the others had not seen it, and discussing what Bert feels about darkness, to open a conversation about their own fears and how to come to terms with them.
Synopsis
An adventurous story of forest thorns and a water nymph, set in the middle of a deep forest.
About this title
- Format
- Short film
- Year
- 2018
- Runtime
- 26m
- Countries
- Czech Republic
- Original language
- CS
- Directed by
- Barbora Valecká, Filip Pošivač
- Main cast
- Anna Polívková, Jan Cina, Marie Doležalová
Content barometer
- Violence0/5None
- Fear2/5A few scenes
- Sexuality0/5None
- Language0/5None
- Narrative complexity0/5Simple
- Adult themes0/5None
Values conveyed
- Courage
- Friendship
- Acceptance of difference
- Perseverance
- Compassion
- cooperation
- nature
- kindness