"Memoir of a Snail": The Poetic Melancholy of Adam Elliot

In 2024, the Australian directorAdam Elliot, renowned for his emotive and unique animated stories like "Mary and Max," presented "Memoir of a Snail." This work, crafted in his characteristic stop-motion animation style, offers a profound exploration of the human condition. The film's plot is loosely inspired by Elliot's own life, and perhaps you will feel as reflected and moved by it as I did.

Brushstrokes of the Plot, Inevitably Intertwined with My Own Story

Grace Pudel was born prematurely in Australia in the 1970s. Shortly after, her mother passed away while giving birth to her fraternal twin brother, Gilbert. From the beginning, Gilbert becomes her savior: he donates blood after an unexpectedly complicated surgery. Grace's health is extremely fragile. Despite the tragedy, Gilbert is always performing acts of magic, small tricks to amuse and surprise her, giving her moments of joy amidst the pain.

Soon after, their father also passes away, and the siblings are given up for adoption to different families in distant places.

Throughout their lives, Grace and Gilbert communicate through letters. This simple, yet essential act connects them despite the distance. In her loneliness, Grace finds comfort in Silvia, a real snail, a silent companion on her journey of fragility and creation.

Identifying with Grace Pudel: The Snail and Childhood

Grace Pudel is not just a fictional character; she is a mirror of ourselves. Like her, we carry the weight of the past, perhaps, a home that was not always safe. The snail, with its slow walk and its home on its back, is a perfect metaphor for how we deal with our memories and emotions. In its fragility, I find a strength that allows us to move forward, even if slowly. It reminds me of childhood.
My grandfather and my brother.
So many colors: tenderness, fragility, joy, warmth, but also, sometimes, absence.

Memoir: Denied Access to Certain Areas

Grace also struggles with her memoir. The loss of her mother and father, as well as the separation from her twin brother, are wounds she carries with her, reflected in her need to hold on to objects and memories. Memoir is a labyrinth. There are areas we cannot access, as if they were locked rooms with lost keys. Sometimes, it is a trap of broken glass. Other times, a place where we find the fullness of happy moments. But there is always uncertainty: what is real and what have we forgotten? Absences are irreparable, like inaudible screams in a space outside of time. Sometimes, memoir is a ghostly black and white TV.

Cinema: A Timeless Refuge

“Memoir of a Snail”, with its stop-motion animation, is a celebration of art and creativity. The meticulous craftsmanship gives the film a sense of nostalgia and narrative authenticity perfect to Grace's story. The soundtrack, by Bryan English, creates an immersive setting for this powerful work. Every movement, every expression of the characters, seems to have a life of its own. It’s as if you can feel the texture of the materials and the passion that was invested in each frame.
Cinema is our refuge. A place where we find magic and possibility. Each film is a window to another world. It’s a date with yourself. A time to reconnect. To explore memories and emotions that would otherwise remain hidden.

Pain, art and loneliness
Pain is one of the many colors in our existential palette. Sometimes it manifests as suffering and sadness. A knot in the throat. A weight presses on your chest. You can barely breathe.
Grace finds solace in solitude. Throughout her life, she clings to objects and to Silvia, her snail, as palliatives for her pain.
The power of solitude and art as tools of healing and creation is undeniable. Art allows us to channel pain as a creative force; it is our connection with the spiritual. It is surprise, it is freedom, it is brotherhood. It is for everyone, but also deeply personal.

Friendship: a space for hope and love.
The arrival of Pinky, an eccentric and energetic old lady, marks a turning point in Grace's life. She becomes a mother figure and friend who encourages her to embrace her uniqueness and find beauty in the imperfect.
It is a beautiful and authentic relationship. It reminds us of the importance of inviting someone into our lives, who accepts us as we are. And who also celebrates it, by reflecting our being.

Acknowledgments and Reception

"Memoir of a Snail" was widely acclaimed by critics. In June 2024, it won the Cristal for Best Feature Film at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, and in October of the same year, it was awarded Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival. Critics from media outlets such as The Guardian and Variety praised Elliot's ability to capture the most complex human emotions with a simple but deeply moving narrative. It is nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Final brushstrokes

In “Memoir of a Snail”, Elliot invites us to look closely at the small victories that make up a life: a magic trick, a letter, a snail. Fragility, absences, losses, broken glass are part of our path. But so are creation, magic, tenderness and art. Cinema nourishes, evokes and transforms us. It accompanies our journey between memoir and the present, between fragility and creation. And in that journey, we find the purity of what it means to be alive.

GMD