® THE HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION ® GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED A Claude BARRAS Written by Céline SCIAMMA

MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI

Adapted from Autobiographie d’une Courgette (Autobiography of a Zucchini) published by PLON-

Rita Productions - Blue Spirit Productions - Gebeka – KNM

in coproduction with Radio Télévision Suisse & La SSR SRG, Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, 3 Cinéma, Helium Films

Length: 70 minutes 07 SYNOPSIS 09 STORY TABLE 10 THE CHARACTERS 15 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT – CLAUDE BARRAS OF 21 SCREENWRITER’S STATEMENT – CÉLINE SCIAMMA CONTENTS 22 PRODUCERS’ STATEMENT – RITA PRODUCTIONS & KNM 28 CLAUDE BARRAS – DIRECTOR 29 CÉLINE SCIAMMA – SCREENWRITER 30 GILLES PARIS – AUTHOR 30 DAVID TOUTEVOIX – DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY 31 KIM KEUKELEIRE – ANIMATION DIRECTOR 31 – ORIGINAL MUSIC 32 RITA PRODUCTIONS 34 BLUE SPIRIT PRODUCTIONS 35 GEBEKA FILMS 36 KNM

38 REVIEWS 39 FESTIVALS & AWARDS 40 SPONSORS & PARTNERS 42 CREDITS 44 CONTACTS

2 3 PHOTOS: CHARLOTTE DÉSIGAUD CHARLOTTE PHOTOS:

4 My Life as a Zucchini is a stop-motion The puppets were then placed on the stage animation feature film. sets – sized-down models manufactured to scale – and lit by the director of photography “INANIMATE This animation technique is the same as before the animator took over. that used in cartoons: just as with animated OBJECTS, sketches, the puppets are filmed frame by frame. Between each take, the puppets DO YOU HAVE are repositioned ever so slightly to give the illusion of movement. The refinement of A SOUL?” the gestures, the fluidity of the movements, and the subtlety of an expression – all created LAMARTINE from puppets that are immobile when the shot is taken (!) – are determined by the quality of the animation (and the animators).

In My Life as a Zucchini, the puppets are about 25 cm/10 ins. high, and were hand­ crafted combining several materials (latex foam for the hair, silicone for the arms, resin for the face, fabric for the hand-sewn clothing) wrapped around an articulated skeleton adapted to the morphology of each character.

LEFT Brian Leif Hansen, animator

5 6 Zucchini is an intriguing nickname for a ten-year-old boy and his unique story is surprisingly universal. After his mother’s sudden death, Zucchini is befriended SYNOPSIS by a kind police officer, Raymond, who accompanies Zucchini to his new foster home occupied with other orphans his age. Zucchini struggles at first to find his place in this strange, at times hostile, environment. Yet with Raymond’s help and his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust, find true love and at last a new family of his own.

7 8 being accepted. Simon, the leader of the Just when everything seems to be returning gang, rough-handles Zucchini until he fights to normal, Zucchini is faced with a new back and earns his place. Then life becomes dilemma. Raymond offers to adopt him THE STORY much more fun because he’s surrounded by and Camille. He has to choose between friends. There are schooldays where they play staying in the little family at the home, at being prehistoric Cro-Magnon man during or becoming part of another one. When history lessons, night-time capers in the Camille and Zucchini leave the home, it’s dormitory and visits from Raymond who with heavy hearts, but full of memories comes back to see how he’s doing. Life gets of a childhood that has finally allowed even sweeter when a new girl, Camille, them to begin to live. arrives. Camille’s a good soccer player and Zucchini (given name Icarus) has lived alone can handle herself in any situation. What’s with his mother since his father ran off with more, she’s all too easy to fall in love with. a «chick». He’s always found this bird story a bit strange, but that’s what his mother But Camille may not stay in the little family has told him and it’s best not to contradict of children at the foster home. Her abusive, her. It’s because one day while trying to greedy aunt wants to take her to live with her, avoid a beating, there’s an accident and so she can get her hands on allowance money. his mother dies. Zucchini tries to save her from the clutches of this witch by organising a getaway. He earns Raymond, the «cop» who handles his case, the love of the little girl but then loses her, takes him to the Fontaines foster home, as she is taken to her aunt’s house while where he meets a little group of other kids, waiting for the court’s decision on her future. Simon, Ahmed, Jujube, Alice and Beatrice. The aunt is a good actress and pretends to They all have stories to tell, as tough as they be affectionate towards her. It needs all the are tender. At first it’s not easy fitting in and children’s ingenuity and solidarity to win out.

9 CAMILLE JUJUBE She isn’t like other little girls, and that’s A glutton and hypochondriac, he is Ahmed’s perhaps the reason why everyone is in love inseparable sidekick. Jujube even eats tooth- THE with her… Dolls? Not so much, but football paste because “it’s good for your health.” and a quick retort are right up her alley. CHARACTERS She is the ray of sunshine that lights up the ALICE foster home, but she may have to leave them Hiding her face behind a lock of hair, The children behind, since her Aunt has filed for custody she speaks very little. Camille will slowly in order to get her hands on the food and manage to coax her out of her shell. board allowance… BÉATRICE ZUCCHINI SIMON She is gentle and always ready to His given name is Icare, but everyone calls The orphanage’s tender-hearted bad boy. defend others. him Zucchini. His mother gave him this After at first rough-handling Zucchini nickname, which he is very attached to. during a hazing process, he becomes Having become an orphan, he will learn his loyal friend. about friendship in the Fontaines Foster Care Center, surrounded by children who are all AHMED like him, although each one of them is very Naïve, with his head in the clouds, he’s the different. With Raymond, the good-natured life and soul of the party, despite himself. police officer who takes him under his wing, He loves to get dressed up in disguise: he will learn that you can trust adults. a dinosaur, a robot, or a dinosaur disguised And he will discover love with Camille. as a robot.

10 THE CHARACTERS — The children

11 RAYMOND MRS. PAPINEAU A rather stout and nice policeman, whom The foster home director, she is fair but strict, Zucchini immediately trusts. He also becomes an indisputable authority figure for the young THE very attached to the boy, to the point where in her charge. he realizes that “family” makes sense, CHARACTERS especially the family you choose. MR. PAUL A kindly and dedicated professor, he teaches The adults AUNT IDA the children in the orphanage and even takes Camille’s aunt is an opportunist who wants them on a ski trip! the allowance money she would receive if she had custody of her niece. But Camille ROSY is ready to do anything in order to not live A dynamic and good-humored youth worker, with her. Rosy is generous and protective of her kids. Bedtime kisses are her specialty! The children will find out that she has a sweetheart and she’s going to be a mom.

12 THE CHARACTERS — The adults

13 14 THE REASON WHY I fell in love with Gilles Paris’ book, Auto­ biography of a Zucchini, a tender and poetic DIRECTOR’S coming of age story. The story and its tone brought me back to my childhood and STATEMENT reminded me of my first emotional flutters as a moviegoer watching films such as The Claude BARRAS 400 Blows, Nobody’s Boy: Remi, Belle and Sebastian, Heidi, and even Bambi. With this animated film adaptation, I wanted to share with today’s public a bit of these wondrous and formative emotions that have nurtured and shaped my experience.

But this film is also, and above all, an homage to neglected and mistreated children who do the best they can to survive and live with their wounds. Zucchini, our hero, has been through many difficult times and, after having lost his mother, he believes he is alone in the world. That was without counting on the people he “HAVE FRIENDS would meet in his new life in the foster care YOU CAN COUNT ON, center: having a group of friends you can rely FALL IN LOVE, AND MAYBE on, falling in love, and why not even being EVEN BE HAPPY…” happy one day? He still has many things to learn in life. It is this message, at once simple ZEHNDER DAVID PORTRAIT:

15 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT — Claude BARRAS

and profound, that seemed essential to After some time immersed in a foster care After an initial, rather long stage of writing convey to our children. And the wish to share center, I realized the importance of treating and paring down the story, my producers this message was what guided me during the the theme of adoption with great care, be- proposed that I work with Céline Sciamma. course of directing the film. cause it is at of the relationship that I was, naturally, very enthusiastic straight these children, lacking in affection, maintain away. I had seen Tomboy a few months before THE THEME with the adult world. I presented adoption in and loved the film. So we met on a regular I wanted to adapt Gilles Paris’ book because two of its modern manifestations: the foster basis to exchange our ideas and very quickly, I wanted to make a film about children that family and custody by a family member. avoiding the pitfall of relating the story in addresses ill-treatment of children and Depending upon the child’s age and the diary form that seemed at first obvious for remedies for abuse in today’s world; an motivation of the adults, adoption in this an adaptation, Céline knew how to give the entertaining film that makes you laugh and instance represents either the risk of return- screenplay a truly classic and strictly set struc- cry, but especially a firmly committed film ing to the destructive cycle of abuse or as the ture, as well as how to strike the right balance that happens in the here and now and tells possibility of reconciling themselves with the between humor and emotion, adventure and you about the strength of resilience amongst world. It also seemed particularly important social realism. The screenplay’s success is a group of friends, advocating empathy, to enhance the image of the blended family also due to the very delicate handling of its comradery, sharing and tolerance. in our society, where today the basic structure characters, which subtly evokes dark, tragic of the family is present in multiple forms. past incidents to better exorcise them in light In contemporary cinema, orphanages are of budding friendships in the present. classically depicted as places of abuse, and THE SCREENPLAY the outside world as that of freedom (The Due to its at times explicit descriptions of the WORKING WITH THE ACTORS 400 Blows, the Chorus). In My Life as a violence that the children are subjected to, Marie-Eve Hildbrand’s casting and work with Zucchini, the pattern has been reversed: the book, Autobiography of a Zucchini, is for the actors was key to the directing process. abuse is suffered in the outside world and the the most part targeted at young adults and We worked with non-professional actors for orphanage is a place fostering appeasement parents. In adapting the story for an animated the children’s characters. They were chosen and reconstruction. This is what makes this film, I wanted to expand the audience to for their voices and their ability to remain narrative at once classic and modern. include younger children. spontaneous in front of a microphone.

16 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT — Claude BARRAS

Their personalities and their ages also played a decisive role, because we wanted to create a group that functioned as naturally as pos- sible, made up of actors who would actually experience the scenes as they were recorded.

In order to accompany the children and provide them with a reassuring structure in which to act, we chose professional actors to play the adults. This option worked perfectly, as seen for example in Michel Vuillermoz’ work: he brought a remarkable humanity, singularity and depth to Raymond, all the while forging real bonds of friendship and camaraderie with the children. The actors struck the right chord and gave the film an extraordinary emotional authenticity, scene after scene, sequence after sequence, during the course of the six weeks of recording.

RIGHT 1. Stand-in 2. Claude Barras on set 3. Claude Barras on set

4. Children talents during voice recording DÉSIGAUD CHARLOTTE PHOTOS:

17 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT — Claude BARRAS

The dialogue, natural, short and efficient, interspersed with silences picks up from the action and sometimes even contradicts it, adding depth to the characters’ psychology. The silences are filled with meaning and leave room for looks, glances and non-verbal exchanges. Put to the test by the children’s natural language while recording, the dialogue was enriched and re-oriented towards a poetic naturalism which on an emotional level rang true to a rare degree.

THE DIRECTION My Life as a Zucchini is meant to be a film that focuses on the private world of its characters’ inner lives. It was important to me to allow time for small gestures, facial expressions, eye-blinks, moments of waiting. A bird couple’s turpitudes while they build their nest, urban landscapes, skies filled with

LEFT 1. Christine Polis, puppet maintenance 2. Kim Keukeleire, animation director 3. Juan Soto, animator

PHOTOS: CHARLOTTE DÉSIGAUD CHARLOTTE PHOTOS: 4. Shoko Shiraishi, painter

18 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT — Claude BARRAS

clouds, thunderstorms and brighter horizons The scenery is rather sad and somber, symbol- to the values that the film wishes to convey. mirror commotions in the characters’ souls. I izing the sociological content of abuse, which Above all, it involves sharing a know-how and often used long sequence shots on looks and isn’t represented in the film. The most lively defining goals common to every department emotions rather than the shots/counter-shots, and bright colors reflect the characters’ resil- in a spirit of cooperation that is at the heart of typically used in animation. This gives the film ience and positive outlook. Faced with the this type of undertaking. a unique, fairly slow rhythm. difficulties handed to them by their destiny, they have entered into resistance. Sixty-or-so sets had to be created and AESTHETIC CHOICES painted as well as fifty-four puppets in three The cartoonist Hergé argued that the more THE MUSIC types of costumes. We then, over a period the graphic style of a face is pared down and The music ranges from scenes in restraint, of eight months, shot seventy minutes of simplified, the more the audience can project with minimal sound effects, to emotional film, dispatched amongst fifteen film sets their own emotions onto and identify with the sequences that are more extraverted, accom- at the rhythm of three seconds per day and character. That is also my conviction and my panied by Sophie Hunger’s soft and gentle per animator. Eight additional months were practice in animating puppets, without the music. The sensitivity of her musical compo- needed to add the soundtrack to the film and ambition of reproducing reality, but instead sitions, her bewitching voice mixed with a assemble all the shots on a green background to give spectators a “shifted reality.” guitar, bass and vibraphone, are the perfect with the foreground shots, background shots, match for the movie’s childlike universe. One skies, clouds and other computer-generated Using the combination of natural, realistic day, Sophie Hunger said about herself: “It background scenery. voices with the characters’ highly stylized was once difficult for me to be with myself. aesthetic I have also attempted to inspire Today, it has become easier, I feel full of light. Although the creation and film shoot ended the film with Gilles Paris’ particularly poetic People change, and that’s a good thing,” as up being a two-year-long marathon of relent- writing style. The key to this universe is the if echoing the path taken by our little hero. less effort involving more than fifty “crafts- characters’ eyes. Their huge eyes, wide open men,” we were, thanks to our very efficient to see the world, contribute a great deal to the PUPPETS AND ANIMATION team, able to put into place and maintain a emotion and empathy. An urban, contrasted, Stop-motion is a hand-crafted adventure, at production system that was on a human scale post-modern poetry emanates from the film. the crossroads of fiction and animation, close the entire length of the film shoot.

19 20 It didn’t take much for me to commit to the up in an orphanage is the perfect pitch for a adventure of My Life as a Zucchini: just the children’s film. And yet, when you think of the outline of a character, sketched by Claude children’s tales that have been handed down SCREENWRITER’S Barras. The sensitivity of his features, this to us through the ages, they often have very unique visual signature, which not only dark premises, such as Little Thumbling, or STATEMENT reflected a love for a character, but made Hansel & Gretel… me fall in love with the character as well. Céline SCIAMMA Fairy tales are cruel, My Life as a Zucchini isn’t. After jumping into the project, I was The project has the strength and tenderness completely caught up and moved by of a coming-of-age story, committed to the problems and sincerity of these little reflecting a world that already exists, our characters. An animated film steadfastly world, which is that of the children whom committed to the realism and accuracy of this film aims to speak to. the story it is telling, all the while striving for visual poetry, is singular enough to be irresistible. Writing the screenplay was a moment of freedom and trust. It is very rare to encounter a project which has the strength of the obvious. There’s a form of boldness and simplicity in Zucchini that won me over. For simplicity is essential not to succumb to “YOU NEED TO BE BOLD.” the sirens’ call of excess, or the temptation of playing god and creating one’s own little world. And it takes guts and daring to convince yourself that the story of a little boy who kills his alcoholic mother and so ends

21 After Ice Floe, The Genie in a Ravioli Can, the tragic labyrinth of life which initially Sainte Barbe and Chambre 69 which have seems to be his fate. been screened and have won awards at PRODUCERS’ numerous festivals such as Cannes, Annecy, We were all ten once. In schools, «disruptive Zagreb, Hiroshima and Namur, Claude Barras elements” still all too easily become the STATEMENT chose to transition to feature film by adapting scapegoats for adults who don’t understand a bestselling novel. why they’re behaving like that. Yet the source RITA Productions of disruption never lies with the children Max Karli & Pauline Gygax His profession of faith as a director is to put themselves. We know that domestic violence himself in the shoes of a child. To do this, he leads to violence in schools and we know KNM needed a strong story that avoided any hint that a lonely child will do anything to create Michel Merkt of being infantile and that demanded the some sort of bond and use any means at their commitment of accompanying adults and disposal, even the most inappropriate. We made them aware of their responsibilities. My know how attention and a child’s background Life as a Zucchini, and his «Zucchini, a small are crucial in their development. My Life as a boy aged ten, born on the wrong side of life», Zucchini is very much aware of these funda- seemed ideal for this transition to feature film. mentals and this was a major driver in the desire to produce this film. The premise of the story may seem unusual and amoral for a children’s film: flee your All we needed now was a screenplay that poisonous family to save your skin. Yet it is would measure up to our expectations and very much part of a long list of cathartic, this was provided by Céline Sciamma (Water metaphorical tales that help us say the Lilies, Tomboy, Girlhood). We arranged for unsayable. In losing his mother, Zucchini is a Claude and Céline to meet. They hit it off im- worthy descendant of Tom Thumb, dropping mediately and Céline set to work with talent, pebbles along his path in order to escape precision and speed to adapt the novel. The

22 PRODUCER’S STATEMENT — RITA Productions

result far exceeded our expectations. As pro- ducers of dramas and documentaries for over 10 years, we were newcomers to the world of animation. We were fortunate to be able to work in France with Marc Bonny from Gebeka Films and Armelle Glorennec from Blue Spirit Productions, both of whom are more familiar with the world of animation than us. We managed to raise the financing for the film through many different financial partners.

Stop-motion is at the crossroads between classically shot film and animation. It’s a dif- ficult way of filming that combines the most complicated aspects of both worlds. We were able to draw on the past experiences of the three co-producers to meet the challenges of filming in a way that represented a discovery of the unknown for all of us.

RIGHT 1, 2, 3. Workshops

4. Cécile Milazzo, head painter DÉSIGAUD CHARLOTTE PHOTOS:

23 PRODUCER’S STATEMENT — RITA Productions PHOTOS: CHARLOTTE DÉSIGAUD CHARLOTTE PHOTOS:

24 Pre-filming work took place in Switzerland and Once the puppets arrived at the studio, Pixel Studios. Postproduction lasted nearly France. We began by recording the voices of we started the first animation tests. Little six months and was taken up with editing at actors for nearly six weeks in Lausanne. The by little, animators arrived from around the Rita Productions in Geneva, compositing work children were put in real-life situations and world. We were lucky to be able to draw on at the Blue Spirit studios in Angouleme and only discovered the story gradually. animation director Kim Keukeleire’s exten- work in the lab at Andromeda in . At the sive network. She brought in animators who same time, the music interpreted by Sophie The resulting dialogues are a mixture of have worked with major current stop-motion Hunger was recorded in a studio in Berlin. improvised and written dialogues, giving the directors such as Tim Burton, Nick Park and touch of realism that we wanted. The puppets Wes Anderson. Zucchini has grown up now. He no longer were prototyped and manufactured in the belongs to us, but you couldn’t ask for a better Savoie and the costumes were sewn and However, compared to these stop-motion gi- start in life than The Director’s Fortnight at hand-knitted in Geneva. The sets and accesso- ants, the budget for My Life as a Zucchini was Cannes, which was amazingly successful and ries were made where we were going shoot far more modest. We aimed at shooting four has since been followed by overwhelming the film, in the Pôle Pixel studios in Lyon. All to five seconds of animation per day and per reception at festival after festival, with prize this took almost a year. animator but the care taken in the animation after prize. was such that we were only able to produce three seconds per day. We decided to look for Today, representing our country in the race additional financing to cover the extra weeks for an Oscar and carrying a whole country’s of filming. This is where the new co-producers, expectations of success is a huge honor and LEFT Kateryna and Michel Merkt from KNM, came responsibility, but we are convinced that this 1. Puppets stand-in on board. With their support we were able to movie has the potential to go far. We are 2. Stand-in on set extend filming and almost double the number pretty sure that everyone will want to adopt 3. Snow set of film sets - from 9 to 15. our little Zucchini.

RIGHT Filming was completed in early May 2015, We hope he will delight and excite audiences Michel Merkt, NKM after almost a year and a half in the Pôle just as he moved us throughout production.

25 26 27 FILMOGRAPHY

2016 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI CLAUDE 2012 CHAMBRE 69 Stop-motion, 3’, Helium Films / RTS 2010 ZUCCHINI Film pilot, stop-motion ,3’, Helium Films / RITA / RTS BARRAS 2008 LAND OF THE HEADS (co-directed with Cédric Louis) stop-motion, 5’, Helium Films / TSR / ONF. Animateka Lubjiana Audience Award – Slovenia, Director Australian International Film Festival 2009 2007 SAINTE BARBE (co-directed with Cédric Louis), stop-motion, 8’, Helium Films / TSR / ONF 2006 THE GENIE IN A RAVIOLI CAN stop-motion, 7’, Helium Films / TSR. Festival of Before directing his first feature film, My Life Flanders 2007 Best Short Film – Belgium, Australian International Film Festival 2006 as Zucchini, Claude Barras directed several / Best new Talent, Festival Bristol 06 - UK / Audience Prize SS A -Suissimage animation, short films including The Genie in a Ravioli Solothurn Filmtage 06 Switzerland / Audience Prize, Children, International Animation Can, which received numerous of awards in Film Festival 2006, Geneva – Switzerland / Special Jury Prize, Festival du Film Romand film festivals around the world. FROG 2006, Geneva, Switerland / Kodak Prize, Curtocircuito, Santiago de Compostela 2006 – Spain / Audience Prize, Court 18, Paris – France / SACD PRIZE Claude Barras’ unique connection with child- 2005 ICE FLOE (co-directed with Cédric Louis) 2D animation, 6’35’’, Helium Films / TSR hood transcends time and age differences; 2002 STIGMATES 2D animation, 3’30’’, Atelier Zérodeux he has the rare gift of being able to make you 1999 CASTING QUEEN 3D animation, 2’45’’, Ecal / Barrabas laugh and cry at the same time. His stories 1998 MÉLANIE 2D animation, 4’22’’, Ecal / Barrabas are filled with realism and fantasy, humor 1997 FANTASMAGORIES 2D animation, 1’42’’, Emile Cohl / Barrabas and poetry. He was the impetus for adapting Gilles Paris’ Autobiography of a Zucchini into a stop-motion animation film.

28 FILMOGRAPHY

Director & Screenwriter CÉLINE 2014 GIRLHOOD Cannes 2014, Directors’ Fortnight - Opening Film, Best Film at the Stockholm Film Festival 2014, a nomination for Best Director at the 2015 César SCIAMMA Awards and a nomination for Best International Film at the 2016 Spirit Awards, California Screenwriter 2011 TOMBOY Teddy Award at the Berlin film festival (Panorama) and Jacques Prévert Prize (Best original screenplay, awarded by the Screenwriters’ Guild) 2009 PAULINE Short film made for the screenwriting competition launched by the French Health and Sports Ministry “Young and gay, in the eyes of others” presided A young and well-known independent French by André Téchiné filmmaker, Céline Sciamma has directed three 2007 WATER LILIES Youth Award at the Cabourg Romantic Film Festival, Louis-Delluc critically acclaimed feature films: Waterlilies, Award for a First Feature Film and nominated for a Best First Film César 2008, Junior Tomboy and Girlhood. prize for Best Screenplay in 2006 (before production), French Cultural Ministry’s Grand Prize for Best Screenwriter In writing the screenplay for My Life as a Zucchini, inspired by Gilles Paris’ book, Screenwriter she accepted to dive once again into a story 2016 BEING 17 André Téchiné of childhood, illuminating the project with 2016 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI Claude Barras a fresh and graceful perspective. 2012 THE RETURNED Series broadcast on Canal +. Participation in the first versions of the screenplay. 2010 IVORY TOWER 2006 CACHE TA JOIE short film Jean-Baptiste de Laubier alias Para One 2004 LES PREMIERES COMMUNIONS short film by Jean-Baptiste de Laubier alias Para One

29 GILLES DAVID PARIS TOUTEVOIX Author of the original novel Director of photography

Born in 1959 in Suresnes in the Paris region, David Toutevoix has worked with Claude Gilles Paris has been working in the world Barras on all of his short films including The of communication and events management Genie in a Ravioli Can. It was therefore natural for over twenty years. He published Papa et that Claude Barras would entrust him with maman sont morts (Mum and Dad are Dead) the position of director of photography for in 1991, Autobiographie d’une Courgette their first feature film, My Life as a Zucchini. (Autobiography of a Zucchini) in 2002 and Au pays des kangourous (The land of 2016 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI Claude Barras kangaroos) in 2012, which won numerous 2014 IMPOSTOR Elie Chapuis literary awards. His latest novel, L’été des 2014 EN SORTANT DE L’ECOLE lucioles (Firefly summer), was published 2009 AU PAYS DES TETES Claude Barras in 2014. 2007 SAINTE BARBE Claude Barras 2000 THE GENIE IN A RAVIOLI CAN Claude Barras

30 KIM SOPHIE KEUKELEIRE HUNGER Animation director Original music

A graduate of Belgium’s La Cambre School 2016 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI Writer, composer and performer, Sophie in 1992, Kim Keukeleire has acquired a Claude Barras ANIMATION DIRECTOR Hunger agreed to take a break between solid experience in animated films and 2014 IMPOSTOR albums to compose the soundtrack of advertisements in stop-motion in England Elie Chapuis ANIMATOR My Life as a Zucchini. Her music is influenced and the United States (Passion Pictures, 2012 FRANKENWEENIE by pop, and folk and confirms the BBC Animations, Aardman, Cosgrove Tim Burton ANIMATOR unique signature of the film. Hall, Will Vinton Studios). For her first 2009 FANTASTIC MR. FOX experience as head animator, Kim Keukeleire Wes Anderson KEY ANIMATOR 2015 SUPERMOON solo album gathered an international team made up 2007 MAX & CO 2013 THE RULES OF FIRE solo album of experienced animators as well as young Frédéric & Samuel Guillaume 2012 THE DANGER OF LIGHT solo album talent (British, New-Zealanders, French, ANIMATOR 2010 1983 solo album Spanish, Swiss, etc.) with whom she had 2000 CHICKEN RUN 2010 ZIMMER 202 film music already worked. Nick Park & Peter Lord 2009 MONDAY’S GHOST solo album ASSISTANT ANIMATOR 2008 DER FREUND film music 2006 SKETCHES OF SEA solo album

31 RITA productions has produced, in particular, Locarno in 2013, Piazza Grande. International over the last few years: Sales, Film Boutique. LONGWAVES by Lionel Baier (Valérie RITA Donzelli, Michel Vuillermoz) 2013 SALVATION ARMY SALVATION ARMY by Abdellah Taïa, with Abdellah Taïa (France Switzerland Morocco). PRODUCTIONS Les films de Pierre and Les Films Pelléas In coproduction with Les Films de Pierre THE PRICE OF FAME by Xavier Beauvois and Les Films Pelléas. Premiered at the (Benoît Poelvoorde, ) with Why Venice Mostra Film Festival in 2013, Official Not Productions and Les Films du Fleuve Competition. International sales, Outplay. Released in 2015, DIRTY GOLD WAR by Daniel Schweizerest was nominated for Best 2014 THE PRICE OF FAME Created by Pauline Gygax and Max Karli Swiss Documentary in 2016 Xavier Beauvois (France Switerland Belgium), in 2003, RITA produces fiction and docu­ Claude Barras’ long-awaited animation with Benoît Poelvoorde and Roschdy Zem. mentary films primarily through international feature, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI, written In coproduction with coproductions. Over the past 13 years the by Céline Sciamma, released in in Switzerland and les Films du Fleuve. Premiered in Venice two producers have accompanied Swiss September 2016 and in France October 2016 in 2014, Official Competition. International and international authors and directors sales, Wild Bunch. whose strong cinematographic flair casts a political and singular point of view on the SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY 2016 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI world. RITA is proud of its eclecticism and & LINE UP Claude Barras (Switzerland France), animated the complementary nature of its choices, feature film. Screenplay by Céline Sciamma. convinced that above all, RITA is about 2013 LONGWAVES In coproduction with Blue Spirit Productions, encounters and shared wishes for a certain Lionel Baier (Switzerland France Portugal), Gebeka Films & KNM. Premier at the Cannes kind of cinema. with Valérie Donzelli, Michel Vuillermoz and Film Festival 2016 – Directors’ Fortnight. Patrick Lapp. In coproduction with Les Films International sales, Indie Sales. Pelléas and Filmes do Tejo. Premiered in

32 2017 THE GUARDIANS Michel Merkt (Chevalier of the Monégasque Xavier Beauvois (France Switzerland), National Order of Cultural Merit) is also a in coproduction with les Films du Worso consultant for several festivals, corporate in production. International sales, Pathé. KNM entities, private investors and foundations all active in the film industry. 2017 THE WIND TURNS Bettina Oberli (Switzerland France Belgium), SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY in coproduction with Silex Films and Versus Production, in pre-production. International 2016 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI sales, Indie Sales. Claude Barras ELLE Paul Verhoeven 2017 WHILE I’M AROUND (AU SUD) Kateryna and Michel Merkt are entrepreneurs IT’S ONLY THE END OF Lionel Baier, in development. in the entertainment industry and producers THE WORLD Xavier Dolan based in Monaco. AQUARIUS Kleber Mendonça Filho 2018 SPACE FAMILY LETTERS FROM WAR Ivo Ferreira Bruno Deville (Switzerland Belgium), Of Ukrainian and Swiss origins, they focus TONI ERDMANN Maren Ade in coproduction with Versus Production, on independent feature films for cinema (RE)ASSIGNMENT Walter Hill in development. aiming to touch the broadest audience, uniting festival and commercial successes. 2015 IN THE SHADOW OF WOMEN Philippe Garrel KNM focuses exclusively on international ARABIAN NIGHTS Miguel Gomes projects making no concessions on artistic LIFE Anton Corbijn choices, whether accompanying known directors or participating in the discovery 2014 MAPS TO THE STARS of new talent. David Cronenberg

33 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI, by Claude Barras, TV series follows the path thus paved to produce quality THE MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD films by independent filmmakers. (2 seasons 26 x 23mn) Director Jean-Luc BLUE SPIRIT François. Adapted from the original 1982 Cinema series by Jean Chalopin and Bernard Deyriès PRODUCTIONS 2011 THE PAINTING Jean-François based on the novel The King’s Fifth, by Scott Laguionie, screenplay: Anik Le Ray. O’dell. Awarded Best Film prize at the ANIFILM GRABOUILLON (5 seasons 52 x 6’5 mn) Festival in Czech Republic, Audience Prize directed by Jean-Luc François and Paul Leluc at the Five Continents Film Festival in Based on the graphic novels by Alexis Nesme Ferney-Voltaire, the Marcinek prize for Best - published by Delcourt. Blue Spirit Productions is a production Animated Film for children at the ALEKINO LITTLE CHICKS (32 x 11 mn) directed company specialized in animated films with Festival (Poland), nominated for a CESAR Jean-Luc François. Adapted from the series its own studios (in Angoulême and Montreal) (2012), pre-selected for an OSCAR (2012). of graphic novels by Christian Jolibois and which allows for artistic and technical control SACEM prize for Best Original Music (com- Christian Heinrich - published by Editions of the projects it produces. posed by Pascal Le Pennec). Pocket Jeunesse. 2012 LES SOUVENIRS Renaud Martin EMILIE (52 x 3 mn) directed by Sandra After taking its first steps through the pro- (short film), Rewarded at Cinanima (Espinho), Derval. Adapted from the illustrated novels duction of TV series, Blue Spirit was rewarded CNC Quality award, Annecy Festival selected for by Domitille de Pressensé - published by in 2008 with the PROCIREP prize for French the official competition, National animated film Casterman. Television production. festival (BRUZ), Bradford Film Festival (UK)… UFO (2 seasons 52 x 5 mn) directed by 2016 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI Jean-Luc François. Adapted from the graphic In 2010, in addition to its TV series work, Blue Claude Barras novel by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Spirit initiated the production of its first fea- 2017 LE VOYAGE DU PRINCE Parme – published by Editions Delcourt. ture film,THE PAINTING by Jean-François Director-Screenwriter Jean-François Laguionie, theatrically released in 2011. Laguionie. (In development)

34 SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY

Distribution Co-production and distribution 1998 KIRIKOU AND THE 2000 PRINCES AND PRINCESSES GEBEKA SORCERESS Michel Ocelot Michel Ocelot 1999 MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO 2003 LOULOU FILMS Hayao Miyazaki Serge Elissalde 2004 L’ÎLE DE BLACK MOR 2005 KIRIKOU AND Jean-François Laguionie THE WILD BEASTS 2008 MIA AND THE MIGOU Michel Ocelot. Presented Out Jacques-Rémy Girerd of Competition Cannes 2005. 2009 THE SECRET OF KELLS 2006 U Created in the fall of 2006 with the credo Tom Moore. Nominated for Grégoire Solotareff and “quality films for a young public,” Gebeka a Best Animated Film Oscar. Serge Elissalde Films is primarily involved in distribution 2009 PANDA! GO PANDA 2009 A TOWN CALLED PANIC and at times in coproduction. My Life as Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata Vincent Patar & Stéphane Aubier. a Zucchini is the first feature for which 2010 A CAT IN PARIS Official selection Out of Gebeka films acted as co-executive producer. Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli. Competition Cannes 2009 Nominated for a Best Animated 2012 THE DAY OF THE CROWS Film Oscar. Jean-Christophe Dessaint 2011 THE PAINTING 2015 108 DEMON KINGS Jean-François Laguionie Pascal Morelli 2012 APPROVED FOR ADOPTION 2016 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI Jung Henin and Laurent Boileau Claude Barras. Directors’ 2016 LOUISE IN WINTER Fortnight Cannes 2016. Jean-François Laguionie

35 US DISTRIBUTOR GKIDS

GKIDS is a distributor of award-winning GKIDS also handles North American theatrical feature animation for both adult and family distribution for the Studio Ghibli library audiences. The company has received eight of films, one of the world’s most coveted Best Animated Feature Academy Award® animation collections with titles Spirited Away, nominations – the most for an independent My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, distributor – with these acclaimed films: Grave of the Fireflies and others.

2014 ERNEST & CELESTINE 2012 CAT IN PARIS 2012 CHICO & RITA 2010 THE SECRET OF KELLS

36 37 “Never afraid to be cute, “A combination of realism but committed to being real.” and reverie“

REVIEWS VARIETY LE MONDE

“As delightful as it is affecting” “One of the unequivocal delights of Cannes“ “All but the most hardened adult hearts will be moved” THE PLAYLIST

SCREEN INTERNATIONAL “What Barras has achieved here “Stunning! One is is nothing short of a miracle” immediately charmed” “A calm representation with strong “Lovingly told and gorgeously emotional potential” TÉLÉRAMA rendered story” “Astounding mastery of THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER stop-motion animation” “Utterly fantastic … wildly vivid and alive” CINEUROPA FILM

38 August 2016 October 2016 FFA Festival du film francophone FIFF Festival International du Film d’Angoulême AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE Francophone de Namur — Competition FESTIVALS FILM (Valois de Diamant) FESTIVAL DEI DIRITTI UMANI Lugano & AWARDS European Parliament LUX film prize 2016 FINALIST BEST FEATURE FILM FESTIVAL ANIMATOU International Animation Film Festival, Geneva September 2016 TIFF Toronto International Film Festival ISKF Istanbul May 2016 TIFF Kids — Official entry CANNES FILM FESTIVAL TIAF Taichung International Film Directors’ Fortnight SAN SEBASTIAN FILM FESTIVAL Festival — Opening film (Quinzaine des réalisateurs) Pearls Section AUDIENCE AWARD BIAF Bucheon International Animation June 2016 FANTOCHE International Animation Film Festival, Korea INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION Film Festival, Baden — Opening film FILM FESTIVAL DOK Leipzig — Opening film Annecy, Official competition FESTIVAL DU FILM FRANÇAIS AUDIENCE AWARD D’HÉLVÉTIE Bienne FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR CRISTAL FOR BEST FEATURE FILM Best Youth Novel Adaptation WINNER ZFF KIDS Zurich Film Festival July 2016 YOUTH AUDIENCE AWARD December 2016 MIFF Melbourne International EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS European Film Festival, (1st international screening) October 2016 Animated Feature Film — Nominated AUDIENCE AWARD BFI London Film Festival — Competition

39 PARTNERS

40 FILM

PRODUCERS & COPRODUCERS

41 HEAD ART DIRECTOR — Ludovic Chemarin RECORDED BY — Francesco Donadello, Vox-Ton HEAD PUPPET MAKER — Gregory Beaussart Studio, Berlin COSTUMES — Atelier Gran’Cri, Christel MUSIC PRODUCTION — Patrick David, Two Gentlemen CREDITS Grandchamp, Atelier Nolita Vanessa Riera HEAD OF ACCESSORIES — Delphine Daumas A Swiss - French Coproduction Rita Productions – HEAD OF PAINTING — Cécile Millazo Blue Spirit Productions – Gebeka Films – KNM DIRECTOR — Claude Barras COMPOSITING — Blue Spirit Studio SCREENPLAY — Céline Sciamma SOUND STUDIO — Masé Studios Genève In coproduction with Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Radio Adapted from the novel Autobiography of Télévision Suisse and SSR SRG, cinéma, a Zucchini published by PLON-PARIS With the voices of: Helium Films with the support of The Swiss Federal Written in collaboration with Germano Zullo, COURGETTE — Gaspard Schlatter Office of Culture (DFI), Cineforom and the Loterie Claude Barras, Morgan Navarro CAMILLE — Sixtine Murat Romande, Canal+, Eurimages, Ciné+, Centre SIMON — Paulin Jaccoud National du Cinéma et de L’image Animée (Advance GRAPHIC DESIGN — Claude Barras RAYMOND — Michel Vuillermoz, on receipts and Support for New Technologies PRODUCED BY — Max Karli & Pauline Gygax, Member of the Comédie-Française in Production), Indie Sales Company and Indie Kateryna & Michel Merkt , Armelle Glorennec, AHMED — Raul Ribera Invest, Suissimage, Region Rhône-Alpes, Region Marc Bonny ALICE — Estelle Hennard Poitou-Charentes and Pole Image Magelis with the PRODUCTION MANAGER — Théo Ciret JUJUBE — Elliot Sanchez support of Charente County Council, Focal and The VOICE TALENT DIRECTOR AND EDITOR — BEATRICE — Lou Wick Ernst Gohner Foundation, Service Industriel of Marie-Eve Hildebrand TANTE IDA — Brigitte Rosset Geneva, The City of Geneva, The State of Geneva ASSISTANT DIRECTOR — Marianne Chazelas MADAME PAPINEAU — Monica Budde and The Canton of Valais. STORYBOARDER — Fernando Lira Sarabia MONSIEUR PAUL — Adrien Barazzone ANIMATION DIRECTOR — Kim Keukeleire ROSY — Véronique Montel CINEMATOGRAPHY — David Toutevoix © RITA Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka SOUND DESIGN — Denis Séchaud Original Music films, KNM, RTS SSR, France 3 Cinéma, Rhône-Alpes HEAD EDITOR — Valentin Rotelli ORIGINAL MUSIC — Sophie Hunger Cinéma, Helium Films, 2016

42 43 US DISTRIBUTOR US PUBLICIST GKIDS MEDIAPLANPR 225 Broadway, Suite 2610 Tatiana Detlofson CONTACTS New York, NY 10007 – USA 825 Brooks Ave +1 212-528-0500 Venice, CA 90291 – USA [email protected] + 1 310 260 2800 [email protected]

PRODUCERS SWISS COORDINATION RITA PRODUCTIONS & KNM STIEFEL, IRVIN & ASSOCIATES Rue de Cornavin 11 Rue du Lièvre 7 1201 Geneva – SWITZERLAND 1227 Les Acacias – SWITZERLAND + 41 22 775 15 50 +41 22 301 44 91 [email protected] [email protected] PRINTED BY WWW.KIS.CH PRINTED BY

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