Anatole is always dragging his little pan behind him. It fell on him one day, for no reason. Ever since, it gets caught everywhere and prevents him from going forward. Anatole is fed up, so he hides. Luckily, things are not that simple.
Wherever "Anatole" goes, he takes his saucepan with him, tied like a little red pet behind him. It's useful - to feed milk to the cat, but it's also aggravating to the neighbours as it scrapes along the ground. This is causing him to become ostracised and so he sort of falls out of love with this ever growing object, especially when it is no longer draggable and he can actually fit inside the thing. Maybe he needs a smaller pan, or a friend, or a life? Perhaps just pick the thing up? I did quite like the simplicity of the stop-motion style of animation, the trees and the snowy conditions but the symbolism was lost on me. Perhaps it's supposed to illustrate that which can be essential and make someone feel needed can ultimately become an albatross? Maybe I'm overthinking it?