Hoppers

Film title

Hoppers

Synopsis

As a young girl in the city of Beaverton, Mabel Tanaka forms a close connection with her grandma. Together they spend much of their time in the quiet serenity of a nearby forest glade inhabited by many species of wild animals. Years later, after her grandmother’s death, 19-year-old Mabel learns that the city’s mayor is planning to destroy it to construct a freeway. As she protests the project, she discovers that the glade has been abandoned by its wildlife and realises that if she can reintroduce beavers to the area then other species will follow, preventing its destruction. She then overhears that her college professors have secretly developed a new technology known as “hopping” to support wildlife research, and so Mabel uses this to transfer her mind into a robotic beaver aiming to communicate with other animals. ‘Hoppers’ is a story about family, community, and humanity’s relationship with nature.