On The Mat Outside My Door

2025 | 4:38 min | UHD | 16:9 | 5.1 Dolby/Stereo | FSK: 0 | 2D Drawn Animation

A little man, an uninvited guest, and a very unusual kind of shared living: Every day, the rat waits outside his door—large, confident, and rather cheeky. It makes itself at home on the sofa, hogs the bathroom, raids the fridge, and completely disrupts his daily routine. But when it suddenly disappears, life without it feels strangely empty…

Based on Nadia Budde’s picture book of the same name, the film brings her unmistakable style and dry humor to life. Hand-drawn animation preserves the quirky, charming visual language and amplifies the situational comedy even more.

Told with wit and sensitivity, this animated short explores annoying houseguests, unexpected loss, and the realization that sometimes you only learn to appreciate things once they’re gone.

Making Of

★ Awards & Screenings ★

list of awards

and

screenings

Credits

Regie: Antje Heyn
Storyboard: Johanna Hochholzer
Animatic: Konrad Weise
Animationsleitung, Layout & Postproduktion; Alexander Isert
Animation: Gigi Chan
Clean Up: Adèle Pinchot
Sprecher: Pierre M. Krause
Musik: Peer Kleinschmidt
Foleys: Peter Sandmann
Sounddesign Mix: Anna von HammersteinJoh Weisgerber

Nach dem Buch von Nadia Budde