Overview
Based on a 2000 autobiographical novella, this gentle animation tells the story of a young girl who awakens from a vegetative state on the brink of feral behavior, gradually forming bonds after her grandmother's intervention.
Plot and Characters
This tender and heartfelt animation by filmmakers Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han offers an engaging and poignant exploration of early childhood, highlighting its fragility and the resilience felt by those who have endured or surpassed it. The film is adapted from an autobiographical novella published in 2000.
Loïse Charpentier voices Amélie, a young girl living in Kobe, Japan, with her Belgian family during the late 1960s. Her family includes her mother, father, and older siblings. Until the age of three, Amélie was in a persistent vegetative state but was miraculously awakened by a severe earthquake. However, she emerges quarrelsome and nearly feral, causing distress to her parents.
Her situation changes when her elegant grandmother Claude, voiced by Cathy Cerda, visits and offers her a piece of narcotically delicious white Belgian chocolate. This gesture helps Amélie transform into a sweet, compliant child who grows fond of her Japanese nanny Nishio-san, portrayed by Victoria Grosbois.
Conflict and Themes
Despite these positive developments, challenges remain. The family’s cold and distant landlady, Kashima-san (voiced by Yumi Fujimori), harbors resentment toward her Western tenants and particularly despises Nishio-san for working for them. This animosity stems from unresolved emotions related to allied bombings during the war.
The narrative also raises questions about the future: what will happen when Amélie’s grandmother must leave, and when the entire family is compelled to depart Japan, a country Amélie has come to cherish as her homeland?
Animation Style and Final Sequence
The animation presents a charming blend of European and Japanese artistic styles. A notable final sequence features Amélie revisiting memories of her slightly younger self in various scenes set around the idyllic house and garden, adding a reflective and emotional closure to the film.
