20 Movies to Catch at Annecy

Aah, lucky are the animated movie lovers who get to travel to Annecy this month! Festival organizers are screening 20 amazing new animated movies (10 in the official competition and another 10 in the Contrechamps “reverse shot” sidebar) from talented artists from around the world. Here is a quick rundown of these hot new titles, accompanied by

comments from festival’s artistic director Marcel Jean. (We promise: If we haven’t covered them in the magazine yet, you’ll be reading more about them in the months ahead!)

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. Dir. Pierre Fol-

des (Canada, France, Luxembourg). “This may very well be the most eagerly-awaited animation feature of the year! Adapted freely from several of Haruki Murakami’s short stories, the film is highly unique, its structure honoring the traits of the novellas which inspired the filmmaker.”

Charlotte. Dir. Eric Warin & Tahir Rana (Belgium, Canada, France). “The all-too short life of the German-Jewish painter Charlotte Salomon, who died at 26 in Auschwitz, is portrayed in this gripping movie which explores an outstanding artistic temperament swept up in the whirlwinds of history.”

Goodbye, DonGlees! Dir. Atsuko Ishizuka (Japan). “Released in Japan in February, this is both a story of friendship and of rite of passage. Funny, moving, close to nature; a film which will delight anime fans.”

The House of the Lost on the Cape. Dir. Shinya

Kawatsura (Japan). “A meticulous adaptation of Kashiwaba’s novel, this feature film rekindles memories of the tragic 2011 earthquake and ensuing tsunami. Although the make-up of this film’s first few minutes may appear relatively conventional, the rest is definitely full

of surprises, with segments of it on the cusp of experimental.”

The Island. Dir. Anca Damian (Romania, France, Belgium). “Using her unique and always surprising style, Anca Damian, winner of the 2012 Feature Film Cristal, freely revisits the myth of Robinson Crusoe, treating viewers with a dive into her baroque realm.”

Little Nicholas – Happy as Can Be. Dir. Aman-

dine Fredon & Benjamin Massoubre (France, Luxembourg). “Using animation to redraw Sempé’s strokes and add color to the artist’s drawings was certainly a great challenge. A challenge taken up by a talented team that never took the easy way out and that ensures we feel right at home with Goscinny’s verve and Sempé’s agility. A major popular movie which — we do trust — will easily bridge the generation gap!”

No Dogs or Italians Allowed. Dir. Alain Ughet-

to (France, Italy).“Jasmine was the revelation of the 2013 Annecy Festival. Now, nearly 10 years later, Alain Ughetto is back with a film that again draws deeply from autobiography, a film in which the narrative device is once again built on representation of the film’s production resources. Annecy Festival is thrilled to renew its acquaintance with this too-rare auteur.”

My Love Affair with Marriage. Dir. Signe Bau-

mane (U.S., Latvia, Luxembourg). “One of the great forces of contemporary feminist animation, here Signe Baumane offers us a second feature film pursuing an approach that’s both unique and consistent. It is equally intimate and drole, without forgetting the joy brought us by the songs interspersed throughout the story.”

Nayola. Dir. José Miguel Ribeiro (Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, France). “Political and social, José Miguel Ribeiro delves into Angolan history to relate the fate of three women from the same family, a tribute to the struggle of brave Angolan women whose lives are imprinted with the violence of history. This is a highly successful passage from short formats to feature film by a reputed short filmmaker.”

Unicorn Wars. Dir. Alberto Vazquez (Spain, France). “Prolific and gifted, the Spaniard Alberto Vazquez favors us with his second feature film, so striking with its visual opulence, its generous staging and its originality. A pleasure not only for the eyes but for the spirit as well!”

Aurora’s Sunrise. Dir. Inna Sahakyan (Germany, Armenia, Lithuania). “In this animated documentary so impeccably directed by Inna Sahakyan, Aurora Mardiganian, star of silent movies, comes back to life to tell the story of the genocide she survived. This is a work which draws its breath from the winds of history.”

Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On. Dir. Jun-

pyo Hong (South Korea). “This is a film that sweeps us into the heart of the Seoul tailors’ labor struggles. Of classic composition, this moving social drama is sourced in the true story of one of the labor movement’s most emblematic figures.”

Dozens of Norths. Dir. Koji Yamamura (France, Japan). “A regular of the Festival, Koji Yamamura brings us a contemplative and enigmatic first feature which builds languid fascination while his neat graphics unfold subtly. Definitely a film to discover.”

Home Is Somewhere Else. Dir. Carlos Hager-

man & Jorge Villalobos (U.S., Mexico). “Another animated documentary here focused on

the fates and dreams of young Mexicans migrating to the U.S. Three stories with as many graphic and technical styles, a film of burning topicality.”

Khamsa – The Well of Oblivion. Dir. Khaled

Chiheb (Algeria). “What bliss to welcome an Algerian feature film to this competition for the very first time! Leisurely, contemplative and almost esoteric, Khamsa reminds us of Laloux at times and of Laguionie’s Gwen and others… In the end, the result is eminently personal and promises beautiful tomorrows for North African animation.”

My Grandfather’s Demons. Dir. Nuno Beato

(Spain, France, Portugal). “A real swoop down into the family novel, My Grandfather’s Demons surprises by its transition from one technique to the next, as well as by the density of its discourse on roots and the impact of the latter on our social relationships.”

The Other Shape. Dir. Diego Guzman (Colombia). “This year, the honor of representing South America in the Contrechamp category goes to Colombian Diego Guzman. He offers us a dialogue-free futuristic film, an intriguing trip through a hallucinatory world.”

Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish. Dir. by Lei Lei

(U.S., Netherlands). “The Chinese artist Lei Lei is back, with this teeming feature where he explores his family past, creating a kind of huge surrealistic collage dotted with pop art references. First shown in Rotterdam, Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish is one of the most singular objects of the 2022 Annecy selection.”

Quantum Cowboys. Dir. Geoff Marslett (U.S.).“Now, here is a very strange Western in which the director uses rotoscoping and adds elements of time travel. An eye-opener for the selection committee and a film we want to share today with festival-goers.”

Dir. Alessandro Rak (Italy). “For his third representation in the Annecy competition, Italian director Alessandro Rak is back with a lighthearted film, an ecological sci-fi fable. At times Yaya and Lennie seems as if it is transposing Of Mice and Men into a post-apocalyptic scene.” √