Latest feature Films
Sauvages
Eight years after “Ma vie de Courgette” (My Life as a Zucchini), Claude Barras returns with a plea against the destruction of nature. This scrupulous stop motion film is about a young girl that rescues an orphaned baby orangutan from the edge of a palm oil plantation and gets caught between two sides.
The rainforest on the island of Borneo, where the indigenous Penan people live, is being cleared to extract palm oil and other raw materials. Valuable habitat for animals and humans is disappearing. When an outraged orangutan mother defends herself against this, she is shot dead by forestry workers in front of her cub. Kéria, a young Penan who has also lost her mother, sees this and takes care of the baby orangutan. But Kéria’s caring nature is put to the test when she is also asked to look after her cousin Selaï, who really gets on her nerves.
Swiss filmmaker Claude Barras opened Fantoche in 2016 with his acclaimed feature-film debut “Ma vie de Courgette” – and is now following up with his equally enchanting and visually stunning “Sauvages” to kick off the festival. The stop-motion film, animated with great attention to detail, is an urgent plea for a considerate, sustainable approach to the environment and a poignant fable about finding your own roots. Like with his first film, Barras has the confidence to tackle serious and difficult subjects and present them with a great deal of sensitivity and compassion. The result is a poignant and timeless animated film for young and old alike that is likely to resonate for a long time to come because of its pressing themes.
“Sauvages” celebrated its premiere in Cannes and was nominated for the Cristal at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Locarno International Film Festival. (Olivier Samter)
The rainforest on the island of Borneo, where the indigenous Penan people live, is being cleared to extract palm oil and other raw materials. Valuable habitat for animals and humans is disappearing. When an outraged orangutan mother defends herself against this, she is shot dead by forestry workers in front of her cub. Kéria, a young Penan who has also lost her mother, sees this and takes care of the baby orangutan. But Kéria’s caring nature is put to the test when she is also asked to look after her cousin Selaï, who really gets on her nerves.
Swiss filmmaker Claude Barras opened Fantoche in 2016 with his acclaimed feature-film debut “Ma vie de Courgette” – and is now following up with his equally enchanting and visually stunning “Sauvages” to kick off the festival. The stop-motion film, animated with great attention to detail, is an urgent plea for a considerate, sustainable approach to the environment and a poignant fable about finding your own roots. Like with his first film, Barras has the confidence to tackle serious and difficult subjects and present them with a great deal of sensitivity and compassion. The result is a poignant and timeless animated film for young and old alike that is likely to resonate for a long time to come because of its pressing themes.
“Sauvages” celebrated its premiere in Cannes and was nominated for the Cristal at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Locarno International Film Festival. (Olivier Samter)
Info
Duration 87'
Country CH/FR/BE, 2024
Appointments & Tickets
Tue 3.9. • 19:30
Cinema Trafo 1* (Eröffnungsfilm)
Thu 5.9. • 18:30
Cinema Trafo 1*
Sat 7.9. • 14:15
Cinema Trafo 2**
Sun 8.9. • 16:15
Cinema Trafo 1**
Artist present