BAFTA-winning filmmaker Paloma Baeza (The House, Poles Apart) has completed production on Three Hares, a hand-drawn animated short film with an ecological focus, that Baeza directed and adapted from an original story by acclaimed author and editor-in-chief of T: The New York Times Style Magazine Hanya Yanagihara (The People in the Trees, A Little Life, To Paradise).
Three Hares weaves the mystical origin story of the ancient three hares symbol into an environmental tale about three sisters, who must remind mankind to respect the earth to protect their future.
Oscar and BAFTA nominee Jessie Buckley (Wicked Little Letters, The Lost Daughter, Wild Rose) has narrated the film, which has featured an original score by two-time Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, Babel) and co-composer Juan Luqui (The Last of Us).
The film’s all-female producing team is led by Amy Nauiokas and Rebecca Choi at Archer Gray (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, 20th Century Women, Lost Girls), Ruth Fielding, Camilla Deakin and Vanessa Wheeler at Lupus Films (Kensuke’s Kingdom, Ethel & Ernest), and FoundRae founder and creative director Beth Hutchens.
Award-winning animation director Neil Boyle (Kensuke’s Kingdom, The Last Belle) and art directors Sharon Liu (The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Nina Simone: Colour is a Beautiful Thing) and Aaron Lampert (Isle of Dogs, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story) led a small specialist team of animators and artists at Lupus Films’ studio in London.
Director Baeza said, “Making this film felt like carving a rare and delicate gem. Our exceptionally talented team of committed animators and designers created a rich visual canvas, elevated beyond our expectations by Gustavo and Juan’s immersive, magical score, and the enigmatic warmth of Jessie’s voice. It has been an inspiring collaboration, all in service of delivering an urgent message we firmly believe in.”
Three Hares is an Archer Gray production in association with Lupus Films.