Four Souls of Coyote

Áron Gauder's 2023 Hungarian animation opens with a protest against the construction of a pipeline. An old man tells the young people a story of creation, and the film passes into that story. In the tale, humanity is not at the centre of creation. Old Man builds the world out of mud, the animals appear in turn, and Coyote spoils things at every stage; the narrative gives the relation with nature through that humour. The animation is hand-drawn and colourful, with each section made in a different visual style. The film draws on North American indigenous narrative but was produced in Hungary, and that outside vantage has been argued over. Who it's for: those who like hand-drawn animation and mythological narrative. Who it's not for: viewers expecting an account from within indigenous communities; the film approaches its source from outside.