What is the film about?

Room for an Elephant? is a poignant animated short created for Child Bereavement UK, aimed at older children and young adults. Adapted from a powerful poem used in CBUK’s education programme, the film explores the isolating silence that often surrounds grief. Using the metaphor of an elephant in the room to represent the presence of death, the animation brings this idea to life—literally—by placing a huge, unspoken elephant into everyday settings.

As the poem unfolds in voiceover, viewers follow a diverse group of teenagers navigating life—school, home, friendships—all with the looming elephant quietly by their side. Its presence is overwhelming but unacknowledged, mirroring the way grief is often felt but rarely discussed. The striking visual metaphor highlights the emotional weight young people carry and the discomfort society has with openly talking about loss.

Stylised with a mature colour palette and textured animation inspired by teen graphic novels, the film balances artistic depth with emotional authenticity. Narrated by Akilah Sheraya, whose heartfelt delivery brings both warmth and gravity, Room for an Elephant? invites viewers to recognise the shared experience of grief and encourages open, honest conversations about death.

The film closes with a gentle reminder: you’re not alone, and support is available—pointing young viewers to CBUK’s helpline and live chat for when they’re ready to talk.

A little background information...

I made Room for an Elephant? because I wanted to help break the silence around grief and death—especially for older children and young people, who often get left out of those conversations.

Child Bereavement UK approached me with a poem they’d been using in their education programme. It used the metaphor of an elephant in the room to represent the unspoken presence of someone who’s died, and I immediately saw the potential to bring that idea to life in a powerful, visual way.

In our previous work for CBUK, we’d focused on helping younger children understand what happens when someone dies. But this time, they asked for something more emotive—something that could spark conversation, rather than just explain. I knew this needed to be handled with care, but also honesty. The elephant was the perfect symbol: awkward, heavy, unavoidable—but so often ignored.

I wanted to show how grief just sits there in the background, while life carries on—at school, at home, with friends. We designed scenes where the elephant is clearly present but never acknowledged, to reflect how people often avoid talking about death for fear of upsetting others or saying the wrong thing.

We made sure to include characters from a mix of backgrounds, because grief affects everyone. The look and feel of the film was really important too—we used a more mature colour palette, textures, and visual references from teen graphic novels to make sure it resonated with that age group. And Akilah Sheraya’s voiceover brought exactly the right tone—gentle, honest, and full of feeling.

Ultimately, I made this because I believe animation has the power to express things words sometimes can’t. I hope it helps young people feel seen in their grief, and gives them a way to start talking about it—because the elephant doesn’t go away just because we don’t mention it.

How was the film made?

Adobe Photoshop, Animate, Illustrator, After Effects, Audition, Procreate