Made entirely from paper and cardboard, Papergee and the Spider is one of those projects that has stayed close to our hearts ever since — a short story with enormous emotional depth, created frame by frame through the magic of stop motion animation.
Back in 2019, we brought a tiny paper girl to life.
Written by Frances Poet, animated by Eleanor Stewart, directed by Douglas Irvine and featuring a beautiful original score by John Lemke, the film follows Papergee — a lost little girl searching for safety in a strange and towering world.
Along the way she must navigate giant stairs, survive the terror of the hoover and avoid the dangerous plug hole… but she doesn’t face it alone. Help arrives in the form of an unlikely friend: a gentle spider with eight spindly legs and four pairs of helping hands.
When the film screened at Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, it was described as:
“A lovingly crafted stop-motion film offering a child-friendly take on the dangers faced by refugee families while fleeing hardship.”
That response meant a lot to us, because creating work for young audiences that opens doors to empathy and conversation has always been central to what we do.
The animation went on to screen internationally at festivals including Manchester Animation Festival, Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, Longue Vue Sur Le Court and Transatlantyk Film Festival.
And now… Papergee is getting ready for a few new adventures.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing more about some exciting activities and events inspired by the film — especially for schools and young people — so this felt like the perfect moment to revisit the original animation and celebrate the artists who made it possible.
Whether you first discovered Papergee and her pal Spider years ago, or you’re meeting them for the very first time: welcome. We can’t wait to share what’s next.
Bringing Papergee to life.
One of the things that makes Papergee and the Spider so special is the incredible craftsmanship behind it. Created entirely through stop motion animation using handmade paper puppets, props and sets, every tiny movement was carefully captured frame by frame.
The film was animated by Eleanor Stewart of Clubhouse Animations, whose beautiful handcrafted approach helped shape Papergee’s delicate and distinctive world.
We’re also sharing a behind-the-scenes video with Eleanor, where she talks about how the film came together — from building the miniature sets to bringing Papergee and her eight-legged companion to life on screen. It’s a lovely look behind the paper folds…
