Far from the Tree(Movie, 2021)

Far from the Tree is a 2021 American animated short film written and directed by Natalie Nourigat and produced by Ruth Strother. The film follows a young curious raccoon whose father often scolds her for inadvertently putting herself in danger. When she becomes an adult, she finds herself and her son in similar circumstances to her parent and herself. The film was conceived in 2018, when Disney requested pitches for theatrical short films; the company eventually approved an unfinished pitch by Nourigat. Initially written as humans, the raccoon main characters proved a challenge for the animators, owing to a struggle to find the balance between anthropomorphism and realism. Far from the Tree premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 15, 2021, and was later released on November 24 of the same year alongside theatrical screenings of Encanto. Critical reviews of Far from the Tree were positive, with praise for its themes and emotion. ()