My Life as a Courgette

Story

After losing his mother, a little boy called Icare, who prefers to be called Courgette, is sent to a foster home with other children who have also suffered abuse and neglect. There, he begins to learn the meaning of trust, friendship and love.

Why we chose it

A simply told story of resilience and survival. Visually the film is beautifully detailed – the large faces and expressive eyes of the children convey subtle emotions. The story doesn’t shy away from tough realities but still has moments of sheer joy.

Where it came from

The film is an adaptation of Gilles Paris’s book Autobiographie d’une courgette (Autobiography of a Courgette), which appeared in 2002 and tells the story of a little boy who becomes an orphan. The animation style was influenced by the work of Tim Burton and the Czech puppet-maker and animator Jiří Trnka.

Where it went next

The film was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film at the 89th Academy Awards. It was also selected as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards. From November 2016 to April 2017, the Musée Miniature et Cinéma (Cinema Miniatures Museum) in Lyon had an exhibit of the film’s figures and sets.

Associated stories

In 2007, there was a French television film adaptation called C’est mieux la vie quand on est grand, which showed the same story. The screenwriter of My Life as a Courgette, Céline Sciamma has written other coming-of-age films, such as Girlhood in 2014.