20/05/2026 - CANNES 2026: Olivier Clert’s family-friendly animated version of a beloved English novel explores themes of childhood trauma during World War I

One of the heart-warming animations presented at Cannes this year (as a Special Screening) is a period piece excavating war trauma through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl. Lucy Lost, set during World War I, is the latest production by French animation studio Xilam (I Lost My Body). Directed by Olivier Clert, it tells the story of its protagonist (voiced by Charlie Rosenzweig) in a remarkably poignant way without shying away from themes of alienation and discrimination, mixed with childlike wonder. The film begins as Lucy is pulled back from the shores of the Scilly Isles, near Cornwall, while sleepwalking – a fantastic vision shows her dreams luring her to the water for an unknown reason. What’s evident in her parents’ faces, however, is the worry and stigma as they shush one another and dim the light while walking back home.

Lucy, it seems, has been confined to the house for a while now, with no prospects of going back to school, while her bubbly brother Alfie (Zach Valentin-Dattas) gets to have a social life. A sudden wave of empathy washes over the audience for this family they’ve only just met in the first scene of the film, with their kind, rounded faces and their tender voices making sure Lucy feels at ease with her fragile condition. It takes some time before we get to see what may be troubling the Wheatcroft family and why they would be afraid for Lucy’s wellbeing. Also, the girl’s completely white hair becomes a point of ridicule and a source of witchcraft accusations, reminding us that children can be both easily accepting and unjust in equal measure.

It’s refreshing to see an animated film where children’s mental health is approached so tactfully and yet truthfully – sometimes, Lucy hears voices, and sometimes, she sees a person who’s not really there. Enter Milly, a mischievous US girl of the same age, wearing a pink dress and a bow in her hair, like the ideal imaginary friend for a lonely main character. By joining forces with Milly, Lucy can finally dare to defy her parents, go outside, and even get into some mild trouble.

Lucy Lost is adapted from a 2014 novel called Listen to the Moon by prolific British author Michael Morpurgo (War Horse, Kensuke’s Kingdom), but while the book has teenage characters, the animation prefers to focus on them as children on the cusp of teenhood – a time when the world is still a little magical, even within the context of a raging war. To that end, Lucy Lost is well aware of the political sentiments of the French and British towards the Germans, and not only in the dialogue (of both adults and children): the tranquillity of the Scilly Isles is often disrupted by the sound of military aircraft and news of sunken war ships.

Thanks to the enchanting animation style and character design by Camille Bozec, it never feels like the gap between the harsh adult world and the purer one inhabited by children is unbridgeable. On the contrary, director and storyboarder Clert approaches both the animation’s look and its themes with a sensibility that translates across generations.

Lucy Lost is a French production by Xilam Films, and Goodfellas handles its international sales.