My Life As a Zucchini Director Sets Up Environmental Feature Savages!; Anton & Geb

Publish date: 2024-01-19

“My Life As a Zucchini” director Claude Barras has set up his latest stop-motion animated feature, “Savages!”

Production company Gebeka International — a Hildegarde-Goodfellas company formed in 2021 — and production, financing and sales studio Anton are behind the project, which will be written by Barras and Catherine Paille (“Magnetic Beasts”). The project will be shopped to buyers in Cannes next week.

“Savages!” follows the emotional journey of a girl, her father and a rescued baby orangutan. The film has a strong environmental and conservationist message, exploring the crisis of the destruction of rainforests.

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An official synopsis for the film reads as follows: “In Borneo, at the edge of the tropical forest, Kéria is given a baby orangutan that has been rescued from the palm oil plantation where her father works. At the same time, Kéria’s younger cousin Selaï comes to live with her and her father as he seeks refuge from the conflict between his indigenous tribe and the logging companies. With the forest under greater threat than ever, Kéria, Selaï and the little primate, now named Oshi, will have to face many obstacles in their battle against the planned destruction of their ancestral home.”

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The movie’s voice cast includes César award-winning Lætitia Dosch (“Montparnasse Bienvenüe”) and César nominee Benoît Poelvoorde (“Coco Before Chanel”).

Barras’ 2016 film “My Life As a Zucchini” was nominated for a Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar. The pic also scored the Audience Award and Cristal for best feature at Annecy. “Savages!” has been in the works since 2019.

Bressand from Gebeka International said: “I am thrilled to be a part of the team bringing Claude Barras’ latest film to audiences worldwide. I believe that ‘Savages!’ showcasing Barras’ incredible talent and unique vision, is the perfect addition to Gebeka International’s diverse lineup, featuring all state-of-the-art animation styles from stop motion, 2D to 3D, for a wide range of audiences. I am confident that this highly anticipated film will be a huge success and a standout in the Gebeka International catalogue.”

Louis Balsan from Anton added: “We are super proud and excited to take part in this adventure and can’t wait to bring ‘Savages!’ to the international audience.”

“Savages!” is produced by Nadasdy Film (“No Dogs or Italians Allowed”), Haut Et Court (“The Class”), Panique! (“Adoration”) and Beast Animation (“A Town Called Panic”). The film is based on an original idea by Barras, Nancy Huston and Morgan Navarro. The French-language animated feature is currently in production, with an expected release date in 2024.

Anton and Gebeka International will co-handle international sales worldwide with all rights available, excluding France, Benelux and Switzerland.

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