Animated film Little Amélie currently in post-production
- Adapted from Amélie Nothomb’s bestseller The Character of Rain, the film by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han explores early childhood and self-awareness
The upcoming animated feature Little Amélie is currently in the final stages of post-production. Based on Belgian writer Amélie Nothomb’s bestseller The Character of Rain, the film offers a reimagined account of the author’s childhood in Japan by blending elements of fantasy, memory and cultural mythology, inviting audiences to experience a world where childhood and myth intertwine.
The story follows young Amélie, born in Japan to Belgian parents, as she navigates an extraordinary early childhood. For the first two-and-a-half years of her life, she exists in a state of pure sensation, detached from typical human experiences – a phase metaphorically described as “a digestive tube, inert and vegetative”. On her third birthday, a transformative event awakens her to the world. Over the next six months, she discovers language, family, a heavenly garden, Japan, water, the changing seasons and the passage of time. Drawing on the Japanese belief that children are considered divine until the age of three, the film explores how this brief period, filled with both joy and sorrow, becomes a foundational element in shaping her identity.
Little Amélie marks the first screen adaptation of Nothomb’s fictionalised autobiography exploring self-awareness, language acquisition and childhood psychology. The film is being directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han as their feature debut, although both directors bring significant experience from previous projects. Vallade has contributed as a storyboard artist to acclaimed films such as I Lost My Body [+see also:
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interview: Jérémy Clapin
film profile] and Calamity, A Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary [+see also:
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interview: Henri Magalon
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trailer
film profile]. The screenplay is a collaborative effort between the directors, Aude Py and Eddine Noël, while the team of graphic artists includes Eddine Noël himself, Marietta Ren, Marion Roussel, Justine Thibault, Rémi Chayé and Simon Dumonceau.
A French production, Little Amélie is being produced by Nidia Santiago and Edwina Liard for Ikki Films (known for the Oscar-nominated shorts Negative Space and Yuck!), and Claire La Combe and Henri Magalon for Maybe Movies (renowned for titles such as Ernest and Celestine [+see also:
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film profile]). The movie is being co-produced by 2 Minutes, France 3 Cinéma, Puffin Pictures and 22D Music. It has received support from various institutions, including Procirep - Angoa, several CNC programmes (the advance on receipts, CVS, Aide au développement and Aide aux techniques d’animation), as well as regional bodies such as the Ile-de-France region, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the Charente department, the Réunion region, the Brittany region and CICLIC – Région Centre-Val de Loire, among others.
The French distribution will be handled by Haut et Court Distribution, with a planned release in the second quarter of this year. International sales are managed by Gebeka International, a company established in 2021 through a partnership between Goodfellas and French animation distributor Gebeka Films, which has quickly emerged as a notable player in the animated film market.
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