Guy Delisle

Every child knows full well that losing a tooth is only the prologue to a magical experience—namely, a night-time visit from the tooth fairy and the gift she leaves behind. So why, in this case, is the tooth fairy a no-show? These are the sorts of questions a father needs to be able to answer for his son… In this brilliantly simple animated short, Quebec cartoonist Guy Delisle brings to the screen the titular parent of his popular series, Le guide du mauvais père (A User’s Guide to Neglectful Parenting), published by Delcourt. Inspired by a common childhood experience, Delisle uses his trademark wry humour to reflect on the vagaries of parenting. A slice of everyday life, courtesy of the Comic Strip Chronicles.

A plump and exuberant monk goes fishing, and a playful fish eludes him. First the monk uses a rod and reel, then a net; over and over, he ends up fish-less and wet. Sleepless, he tries luring the fish at night with a bank of candles. He tries a bow and arrow. The tireless and insouciant fish leads the monk through a viaduct, over irrigated steppes, across cisterns, down canals. Suddenly, the monk's chase and the fish's teasing flight become a spiritual journey.