Screened as part of NZIFF 2022

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On 2021

Directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp Square Eyes

Meet Marcel, a tiny talking shell, on a big-hearted big-screen stop-motion adventure, as tender and funny as it is insightful and poignant.

Session dates and venues to be announced
USA In English
89 minutes DCP

Producers

Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan, Paul Mezey, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate, Terry Leonard

Screenplay

Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate, Nicky Paley

Cinematography

Bianca Cline, Eric Adkins

Editors

Dean Fleischer-Camp, Nick Paley

Animation

Kirsten Lepore

Music

Disasterpeace

Cast

Jenny Slate (Marcel), Isabella Rossellini (Connie), Rosa Salazar (Larissa), Thomas Mann (Mark)

Festivals

Telluride 2021; SXSW, San Francisco 2022

Elsewhere

Marcel is an adorable and charming little shell (voiced by the ever-brilliant Jenny Slade) who ekes out a colourful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker (Dean Fleischer-Camp) discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he makes brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new shot at finding his long-lost whānau.

If you haven’t already met Marcel through his series of online low-fi high-quirk shorts, I suggest you get watching the minute you finish reading this. The original trilogy was created through a collaboration between writer/director Dean Fleischer-Camp and actor/writer Jenny Slate – set up as mockumentaries that see anthropomorphic snail shell Marcel being interviewed about his interests, hobbies, and some of life’s big questions. Marcel was a total hit from the moment he appeared on the internet scene back in 2010 – and it’s magnificent to see this endearing little mollusc get his much-deserved feature-length debut in a hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection and community, even in the smallest of corners.

Gently incorporating themes of separation, loneliness and grief, Dean and Jenny have created a magnificent film for all-ages that beautifully balances laugh-out loud gags with the perfect amount of hit-you-in the-heart emotion. Sometimes it simply takes a tiny one-eyed talking shell with shoes on to remind us all, that when it comes down to it, a little optimism and kindness is all that really matters. — Nic Marshall