Animating France

Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis opened my eyes to the world of international animated film – before that I’d known of Tin Tin, Asterix and Obelix and myriad other kids' favourites. But never really in a global/cultural context. Persepolis, a black-and-white coming-of-age story about a girl who grows up through the Iranian revolution before moving to France doesn’t initially sound like an easy watch – but it really is. Stylistically it works, the story line is compelling, and the lead character who was described in one review as an Iranian Lisa Simpson is captivating.

In 2007 it won the joint Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival, now with the 2024 festival and Annecy just around the corner I wanted to explore a bit of the French animation heritage and where we might see it move in the next few years.

As such it makes sense to look back to the early 20th century to highlight how pioneers like émile Cohl and Paul Grimault established the foundation for what would become a vibrant and diverse industry. Over the years, French animators and studios have produced a wide range of animated works that have captivated audiences around the world, influencing the way international viewers perceive and appreciate the genre. I encourage you to look them up and see the genesis of the genre as it is manifest today.

Beyond Persepolis one of the key animated works that has defined the way international audiences understand French animation is "The Triplets of Belleville" (Les Triplettes de Belleville, 2003), directed by Sylvain Chomet. The film follows the story of Madame Souza and her dog Bruno as they embark on a journey to rescue her grandson Champion, a Tour de France cyclist who has been kidnapped. It has its own visual style and quirky characters which has seen it earn a fair few awards. Again, if you haven’t seen it – seek it out.

Another influential work I’d like to steer you to is "Ernest & Celestine" (2012), directed by Benjamin Renner, Vincent Patar, and Stéphane Aubier. It’s a charming film telling the story of an unlikely friendship between a bear named Ernest and a mouse named Celestine.? To be honest, one of the things to love most about it are the beautiful hand-drawn animations. They’re gentle and calming – in a totally different way to Persepolis – with its monochrome and harsh aesthetic.

One recent example of this innovation is the film "I Lost My Body" (J'ai Perdu Mon Corps, 2019), directed by Jérémy Clapin. This inventive and visually stunning film follows the journey of a severed hand as it navigates the streets of Paris in search of its body. Through its unique storytelling and striking animation, "I Lost My Body" is a sign that French animators haven’t lost their touch and are still looking to experiment with form and content. And I can’t wait to see where its creative sector pushes towards next.

Despite the news of some of France’s animation giants Xilam and TeamTO scaling back operations, we remain optimistic for the country’s still (relatively) flourishing sector and hope for more collaboration by British and French studios – as between the two countries there is a huge amount of creative firepower to land a huge number of awards and accolades.

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