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Jury Programme: Elie Chapuis

My Life as a Zucchini ranks among the best puppet films made in recent years. It is the first Oscar-nominated Swiss film and it won a prize at last year’s Anifilm. It also won the Audience Award at the Annecy festival, was screened in Cannes and voted the Best European Film of last year. In his feature debut, director Claude Barras, who specializes in stop-motion, tells the story of a boy nicknamed Zucchini who ends up in an orphanage after his mother’s death. At first, he feels lonely, but later realizes that he’s not alone. There are Simon, Ahmed, Jujube Alice, Béatrice and also Camille with whom he falls head over heels in love. Each of the children has their own dark story, but their cheerfulness prevails over their sad past. The main heroes of the film are depicted at an age when they discover the world and learn how to deal with it. On the path to happiness, a group of friends and first love play important roles. The boy finds a mentor and tutor in the local policeman who helps him to overcome every obstacle. The film is a perfect example of excellent modern puppet animation where the stylization of the characters doesn’t weaken the plot and its authenticity.