Kate Bush returns with a new cinematic project this summer but not in the way fans might expect. The reclusive singer-songwriter has directed a brand new animated short film, Little Shrew, which will premiere exclusively in UK and Irish cinemas as part of a powerful double bill.
Set to screen before the WWII feature From Hilde, With Love, Bush’s 15-minute short will debut at all Picturehouse cinemas on Tuesday 24 June, ahead of a wider release on Friday 27 June.
A story of survival, seen through small eyes
In Little Shrew, Bush tells the story of a tiny, wide-eyed shrew as she scampers through a devastated city in search of something simple: hope. The character is blissfully unaware of the chaos around her as she navigates a war-torn landscape — a childlike observer in a broken world. One of the film’s most striking moments sees her caught in an airstrike, only to rise again and continue her journey.
The animation is set to Bush’s haunting track Snowflake, taken from her 2011 album 50 Words for Snow, and features vocals from her son, Albert McIntosh.
“I hoped to draw attention to the children caught up in war,” said Bush, explaining the short’s origin. “I originally considered using a human child, but thought people might have more empathy for a vulnerable animal than a human. Sometimes hope is all there is to hang on to.”
Bush said the war in Ukraine in 2022 was the spark for the project, which she hoped would offer a small but poignant act of solidarity.
A double bill with From Hilde, With Love
Following Little Shrew, audiences will see From Hilde, With Love, a feature film based on the true story of Hilde Coppi, a young woman who joined the anti-Nazi resistance in 1942 Berlin. The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival to glowing reviews and now heads to UK and Irish screens via Picturehouse Entertainment.
Directed by Andreas Dresen, From Hilde, With Love explores themes of courage, moral conviction, and quiet rebellion, making it a powerful companion to Bush’s animated tale.
When and where to see it
Little Shrew and From Hilde, With Love will screen together at all Picturehouse cinemas across the UK and Ireland on Tuesday 24 June for a special one-night preview. The double feature then opens more widely on Friday 27 June in Picturehouse and select independent cinemas.
This exclusive pairing is one of the few opportunities fans will have to see new work from Kate Bush in a public setting. Both films promise a moving, visually rich experience, told from two very different, but equally resilient perspectives.
