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Made in France
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The screening of 10 French animation films in the city left school children asking for more
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TOON TIME Cartoon clips from the animation fest.
T o promote French film in India, especially amongst children, the Alliance Francaise and the French Embassy put together a collection of French animation films that have won numerous accolades and have also been listed as favourites in collections the world over. Le Long S'anime - the six-day animation film festival that concluded on Saturday was held at the Imax at Prasads multiplex. A number of schools were invited everyday and the huge theatre accommodated a large number of excited and inquisitive children. Watching animation films in a different language with subtitles was a different experience for most of them, but the vibrancy of colours and frame by frame capture of minute emotions and movements had them clapping with glee.
The French Embassy has sent the movies and the festival will travel across the country to Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Says Uma Sridhar, the deputy Director for the Alliance Francaise in Hyderabad, "The French are known for their excellent animation and this is the best way to promote French films. We want to spread the word on French films and expose people to these well made movies."
Le Roi et l'Oiseau (The King and the Mockingbird) is one the first French animation films made and has won the Prix Louis Delluc in 1979, one of the most prestigious critics award in France. It tells the tale of King Charles, who loves a shepherdess. The girl in turn, loves someone else and the two lovers try to outrun the police and even the King. La Prophetie des Grenouilles, a 2003 film, has won the Grand Prix Feature film award at the Ottawa International Animation Festival in 2004.
Le Chien, Le general et les Oiseaux (The dog, The General and the birds) set in Russia, was a moving film.
But two of the most popular cartoons of the festival were Les Triplettes de Belleville and Kirikou et la Sorciere. Les Triplettes... has won awards for its music as well and is the funny tale of Madame Souza on a hunt for her kidnapped cyclist grandson Champion. Madame Souza meets the `Triplets of Belleville'- three eccentric women and music stars, who take the grandmother-grandson duo under their wing. Together, this funny group plots to outsmart the French Mafia. The last movie of the screenings, Kirikou et la Sorciere, focussed on little Kirikou, a African boy with the power and intelligence to do things differently.
Beautiful graphics that took in every detail, real life situations and continuity of events made the festival a treat for children and adults alike. An encore would do us well.
RENUKA VIJAY KUMAR
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