BFI London Film Festival 2025 Review : The Songbirds’ Secret
From Annecy to the BFI London Film Festival, Antoine Lanciaux’s The Songbirds’ Secret proves that children’s films can speak to every generation
Creating a film for children is one thing and though it takes the same amount of effort, when you can create one that resonates with adults as well, that becomes something different. As an adult, if you have a passion or love for animation, you tend to always be able to appreciate the beauty in the craft (should it be done right), but when you can gain something more than just enjoyment from what you are watching, that brings the film to another level.
Writer-director Antoine Lanciaux is a creator of many children’s animation films and his latest The Songbirds’ Secret (2025) premiered at the Annecy International Film Festival in June this year. Using a beautiful two-dimensional animation style, Lanciaux and his team tell the touching story of a nine-year-old girl who uncovers long lost family secrets with an unlikely friend and the help of songbirds.
Lucie lives with her father for the most of the year but this trip out to Bectoile to visit her mother, Caroline, will be something like never before. Along with her colleague, Caroline is currently leading an archeological dig in the area of her hometown. As her mother is distracted with this archeological dig, Lucie explores the countryside and the off-limits woods. During her adventures she befriends Yann and a special pair of songbirds. When she stumbles upon a mysterious man known as the ‘wizard’, she sets herself on the path towards her mother’s hidden family history. With the help of her new found friends, Lucie becomes determined to find out the truth and change her family’s story.
In the chosen animation style, The Songbirds’ Secret feels almost storybook-esque. The stylistic elements used are stunning to the more mature viewer and comforting for the children. The animations come across as if they are pages of a pop-up storybook – trees move in layers, the world opens up to us. Introducing the audience to their methods so early on sets up the tone of the film and brings them deeper into the story immediately.
Not only does Lanciaux set-up his animation with style, he also introduces the characters quickly. There is enough background provided for all generations to understand the context but to not get lost within an heavy diluted plot. Though he may have made the film specifically for children in mind, there is the possibility that he knew he would grab the attention of mature audiences as well. Lucie and her father are introduced as she sets off on her latest holiday to visit her mother. We are quickly introduced to the songbird friends as she gets off the train and they flutter in. It is a bit silly here as some viewers from other countries may not know the name of these birds, but that problem is quickly gratified as we hear their name told to us.
Lucie is only nine but she knows her mother is hiding something from her. There’s a powerful intuition in this girl and it can be felt with how she conveys herself around the town. As her mother remains distant and focus on the archaeological dig over spending time with her child, Lucie explores the surrounding area. Caroline is too focused on her dig to understand her daughter needs her. Here we see something quite familiar in families, it reminds us of distant parents. Not done on purpose by the parent however, the child needs their help. Lucie knows her mother is distant and still wants to uncover this family secret she has set her path towards solving.
For the targeted youth, The Songbirds’ Secret is an inspiring story about following your instincts and enjoying your childhood. It can inspire them to speak their minds and if it hits them right, remind them that family is more complicated than they may believe. For the adults in the audience it becomes a calm watch. The Songbirds’ Secret whisks you away from the darkness of reality into a world of magic and wonder. You become lost both in the story and in the art form as well. There is something quite magical about Lucie as she knows what she wants and goes for it. While some children’s films have a rambunctious child who does not listen to parents and ignores rules and instructions given to her, Lucie can speak her mind while remaining polite and caring to her elders.
It is a journey of self-discovery through family history. As she uncovers clues, it shows her smarts, and it allows us to understand that you can do anything you set your heart out too. Sometimes, even parents may need saving and their kids might be the best ones to save them.
Thoughtful storytelling and lovely animation bring The Songbirds’ Secret to life. At this year’s London Film Festival the film premiered on Sunday October 12 as part of the Family strand. Set for a theatrical release in France on October 22, 2025, one can only hope it will be available in more countries very soon.
Watch the trailer for The Songbirds’ Secret below
[Review by Hailey Passmore]