there is so much strength and emotion 

packed into this 70 minute little film

i am left not knowing exactly what to say.

directed by claude bars

a joint swiss/french

stop-motion animation creation

later re-voiced in english

with unforgettable characters

so tiny

yet larger than life

 their huge eyes

mirror their huge troubles, emotions, lives

 their fight for survival

and their desperate search to find a way

to open their wounded hearts once again.

it is a testament to the resilience of the human heart

and the power of love and friendship in the face of adversity.

—

(French: Ma vie de Courgette; also titled My Life as a Zucchini), was screened in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. This is the second adaptation of Gilles Paris’ 2002 novel Autobiographie d’une Courgette, as there was a French live-action television film adaptation called C’est mieux la vie quand on est grand which aired in 2007. The film was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film at the 89th Academy Awards but lost to Zootopia. It was also selected as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.

—

 “the empty swing set reminds us of this–


that bad won’t be bad forever,

and what is good can sometimes last 
a long, long time.
”

-jacqueline woodson

 

 

—

note: while this film is animated, it may be too emotional and scary for young children to experience, due to some of the characters and issues addressed within.

—

credits: universal studios, wikipedia, cannes film festival