Permanent Collection

Nelly Michenaud Savors the Warmth of Home in “Nantes”

Posted on Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Well-suited to a sunny, early summer day, this looping collection of peaceful vignettes by Studio Orca director/co-founder Nelly Michenaud captures glimpses of Nantes, her beloved hometown on the Loire river.

Complete with a reference to the 40-foot tall mechanical elephant created by French artists François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice, Michenaud calls the project “a hand-drawn micro love letter, with an illustrative style as a nod to French graphic novels”.

“I wanted to put a spotlight on this great city and follow the steps of previous artists here through making my own addition to it’s lovely strangeness.”

Nelly Michenaud: “Nantes, which I’m coming back to and revisiting as an adult, is a highly creative city and has always been, but Like a lot of other places currently, it is a model under attack with cuts to funding.

“In the hope of decentralizing the artistic and creative focus from Paris, I wanted to put a spotlight on this great city and follow the steps of previous artists here through making my own addition to it’s lovely strangeness.”

Images

A giant heron stands on the roof of a beige apartment building in Nantes, towering over the structure. A person in a white shirt gazes up from the balcony, capturing both awe and the warmth of home beneath a blue sky with soft clouds. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A large paper boat floats in a shallow stream beneath a graffiti-covered bridge, sunlight filtering through trees—a scene reminiscent of the "Nantes" animated short film by Nelly Michenaud at Studio Orca. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A digital illustration of a grassy park with yellow and white flowers, a large orange elephant on a path, and buildings in the background under a clear blue sky—evoking the whimsical style of "Nantes" animated short film by Nelly Michenaud at Studio Orca. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A child with blonde hair and bare feet leaps off a sandy mound in a Nantes playground, while other children play on a sloped wall nearby. Tall buildings and trees rise in the background beneath the blue sky—photographed by Nelly Michenaud. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A person in a pink robe stands on a small balcony in Nantes, holding a cup, looking out from an open window of a beige building with decorative railings as sunlight casts shadows, capturing the warmth of home. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

Production: Studio Orca
Director/animator: Nelly Michenaud

Sound design: Jose Pablo Ramirez

Stephen Price

Stephen is the co-founder/CD of Stash Media Inc. and the executive editor of Stash Magazine and the Stash Permanent Collection.
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Category: Animation, Featured, Motion Design, Short Films · Tags: Jose Pablo Ramirez, Nelly Michenaud, Studio Orca