A curious girl
Lowri decides to look closer
Lowri heard the rumours.
She saw the thorns.
Then she did something brave...
She chose to
Look closer.
Beyond the stream...
There stood a house behind the thorn.
Children whispered stories there.
They called it the witch's house.
But stories are not always true.
Look closer
Not Everything Is What It Seems
A rumour can make a shadow seem frightening. The truth often waits in the light.
At the window
Midnight Was Watching
Not a monster. Not a warning. Just a black-and-white cat, wondering who had come to visit.
The truth behind the tale
The “Witch” Was Just a Woman
Mrs Ivor-Wynn Richards was not frightening.
She was kind. She was different. And she had been lonely for a very long time.
Sometimes the thing you fear becomes a friend.
On Lowri's birthday
A Yellow Parcel Arrived
Inside was a wooden egg, carved with tiny patterns and wrapped around a secret.
The mysterious words said
Di'ak belun
Good friend.
Inside the egg
Meet Horta
A tiny wooden doll from East Timor.
Small enough to sit in Lowri's hand. Quiet enough to keep a very big secret.
Gentle. Helpful. A little bit magical.
Beside the pond
Then Horta Moved
A ripple. A glimmer. A tiny wooden foot where no foot had been before.
The secret had come alive.The quiet helper
He Helped Without Asking for Thanks
When things felt difficult, Horta was there: tucked away, watching carefully, finding a way to help.
1 / 4 moments
Listen closely
Then the Story Found Its Song
Ainsley's longer story became a short illustrated musical film: its mystery, friendship and kindness carried by music.
The finished song is waiting inside the premiere.
From page to picture
The Story Became a Film
The heart of Ainsley's book was shaped into a shorter journey, keeping its characters, its mystery and its meaning.
1 / 4 images
The heart of the story
Look Closer
Not everything is what it seems.
Sometimes the thing you fear becomes a friend.
The magic was kindness waiting there all along.
Ainsley, are you ready?
This is what your story became.
Look Closer
Tonight, beyond the stream...
Welcome to the Premiere
The world premiere
Look Closer
A musical story adaptation inspired by Ainsley's original book
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After the credits
Horta Had Other Ideas
Every film has moments that do not quite make the final story. Horta's were too lovely to leave behind.
1 / 12 outtakes
For the storyteller
Ainsley, You Made This Story
This film began with your characters, your mystery and your belief that kindness can change what we see. The long story became a short film, but its heart is still entirely yours.
Never stop looking closer. Never stop telling stories.