La Cabane & Thuristar to Debut First Original Special

La Cabane and Thuristar are set to debut their first original special, A Lamb’s Stew, at Cartoon Forum’s opening event on September 17.

The 30-minute special, from writer and director Joeri Christiaen and producer Perrine Gauthier, tells the story of a young lamb determined to prove that sheep are just as brave as other animals. She plans to lure a wolf into a trap but soon discovers that he isn’t the monster she thought he was.

The film questions how preconceived ideas shape our worldview and invites viewers to embrace individuality.

A Lamb’s Stew features 3D and 2D animation to provide a stylized look with lush backgrounds and detailed textures. The film received the support of the Creative Europe MEDIA program in 2024.

Claire Paoletti, co-writer of Shoom’s Odyssey, which won the Annecy Cristal in 2020, was a writing consultant during the initial development phase.

“After 15 years of directing series, including My Knight and Me and Mush-Mush, I wanted to delve in a more personal project and a longer, deeper, stand-alone story,” Christiaen said. “It’s an exciting new challenge, both creatively and technically, and we’re assembling a talented team to rise to the occasion!”

“We enjoy developing and proposing programs that are very different to each other in terms of visual style, topic, audience and format,” added Gauthier. “A Lamb’s Stew is fully in line with that approach, and we’re honored that the project will open what promises to be a great edition of Cartoon Forum, with a high-quality selection.”

At last year’s Cartoon Forum, La Cabane and Thuristar jointly pitched the preschool series Luce in the Lovely Land, based on Britt Raes’ short film Luce and the Rock. It is now being developed in partnership with France Télévisions and VRT-Ketnet.