OnShow INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL · 2026

LET'S PLAY! [Mikado]

Directed by Allan Dransfield

Poland · 2020 · 5 min 36 sec · Documentary

Submitted to OnShow International Film Festival 2026

Synopsis

Travelling across the world with a home made game of pick-up sticks, Allan sets out on a mission to spread happiness, break down social barriers and connect strangers through the universal joy of play.

About the film

I travelled around the world with a simple idea: what if we could make the world a little happier by getting strangers to play together? Armed with a handful of pick-up sticks, I approached people in streets, parks and public spaces across Europe, North America, North Africa and Asia, inviting them to play Mikado. No common language, no introductions, no particular reason to talk to each other. Just a game. It was a small experiment in human connection. Watching people go from curious strangers to laughing, competing playmates reminded me how little we sometimes need to find common ground. We created 100 handmade packs of the game and gave them to the winners, hoping they'd carry the idea forward and invite others to play, too. The game was never really the point. It was an excuse to approach someone you'd never normally meet, put your phones and reservations aside, and enjoy being human together. And perhaps a reminder that making the world a happier place doesn't always require a grand gesture. Sometimes, it starts with a handful of sticks and a simple question: Fancy a game?

Director

Allan Dransfield (b. 1981, Yorkshire, UK) is a photographer, designer and visual artist based in Łódź, Poland. Working across Europe and China for over a decade with brands such as Fiat, Volvo and Renault Trucks, his background in automotive design runs alongside a broader exploration of what connects life around the planet. Collecting fragments of the world—images, sounds, objects and responses—he reworks them into new narratives, revealing patterns in everyday life, celebrating the overlooked and shifting perception from micro to macro and back again. Shaped by collaboration, curiosity and coincidence, his projects unfold across disciplines without fixed boundaries. In 2019, he partnered with FREITAG as their “Executive Vice Plesident for Global Happiness”.

Official link

Official film / website ↗

Film stills

Publicity materials supplied or expressly authorized by the rights holder. Publication is separate from festival selection.

OnShow International Film Festival — Inaugural Edition · 2026