Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants: Thomas Szabo and Hélène Giraud’s animation tells a simple story, that of a young ladybug who, separated from her family, gets involved in a dispute between black ants and red ants around spoils of a picnic. The story is charming enough, but the stars of the show are the concept and execution of the animation. The characters are placed against the idyllic and majestic dropback of a mountainous forest (shot lovingly by cinematographer Dominique Fausset); their design is unfussed but very expressive, due to the simple and effective eyes the creatures have. The sound design is likewise very effective; skirting away from realism, the sound landscape makes use of very expressive sounds instead, which transmit the idea very clearly. Composer Hervé Lavandier’s lovely musical score is an important piece of the puzzle as well, completing the aural landscape.