THEME EXPLORATION

animal protagonists

25 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Pound
Pound
1970 · Robert Downey Sr
The Egg Collector
The Egg Collector
1940 · Chuck Jones
Amores Perros
Amores Perros
2000 · Alejandro González Iñárritu
Umberto D.
Umberto D.
1952 · Vittorio De Sica
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
2011 · Rupert Wyatt
Fan Dog
Fan Dog
2016 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Kes
Kes
1970 · Ken Loach
The Mosquito Net
The Mosquito Net
2010 · Agustí Vila
The Sheep Detectives
The Sheep Detectives
2026 · Kyle Balda
OZI: Voice of the Forest
OZI: Voice of the Forest
2026 · Tim Harper
D'Artagnan's Daughter
D'Artagnan's Daughter
1994 · Bertrand Tavernier
Giraffe Football or “The Alternative”
Giraffe Football or “The Alternative”
1973 · Jean Rouch
Il tacchino prepotente
Il tacchino prepotente
1939 · Roberto Rossellini
Green and Pleasant Land
Green and Pleasant Land
1955 · Lindsay Anderson
Samurai Kids
Samurai Kids
1993 · Nobuhiko Obayashi
The Journey
The Journey
1995 · Abbas Kiarostami
Babe: Pig In the City
Babe: Pig In the City
1998 · George Miller
Okja
Okja
2017 · Bong Joon-ho
The Shallows
The Shallows
2016 · Jaume Collet-Serra
Animal Altruism
Animal Altruism
1965 · Arthur Lipsett
Blood on Wolf Mountain
Blood on Wolf Mountain
1936 · Fei Mu
Cat Skin
Cat Skin
1962 · Joaquim Pedro de Andrade
Cat vs. Rat
Cat vs. Rat
1982 · Kar-leung Lau
Gauche the Cellist
Gauche the Cellist
1982 · Isao Takahata
Inhabitants
Inhabitants
1970 · Artavazd Pelechian
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Hayao Miyazaki Japan

His films consistently center animal protagonists like Sen (spirited away), Chihiro's parents as pigs, and the wolf girl San in Princess Mononoke to explore human nature and environmental themes.

 Wes Anderson United States

He crafted an entire film around an anthropomorphic fox protagonist in Fantastic Mr. Fox, blending whimsy with deep exploration of family, identity, and survival.

 Isao Takahata Japan

His films like Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday use animal perspectives and symbolism to examine profound human experiences, loss, and memory.