My Life as a Courgette (2016): A Game-Changing Animated Feature. Amidst the overwhelming rally of high-action and noisy animations, Courgette offered a refreshingly mature narrative minus the crutch of dance sequences or sequel teases.

In the lush landscape of Borneo, young Kéria, becomes the unexpected caretaker of Oshi, an infant orangutan, left helpless by the palm oil plantation where her father is employed. Her cousin, Selaï joins them, as he flees from the feud involving his nomadic family and destructive logging firms. Together these three form a resistance against the forest’s ruin, while Kiera embarks on a journey to understand her indigenous roots. Essentially, this is a tale of self-discovery amidst life’s turbulent and destructive challenges.

Writing for a young audience entails a significant level of empathy. Similar to My Life as a Courgette, the youthful characters in this film aren’t reduced to mere caricatures, but are complex individuals with dreams and ambitions. It could easily have been turned into a simplistic kids’ movie, but the richness of characters and narrative ensures a deeper resonance with the audience, a notable trait of Barras’s storytelling.

The characters and the world they inhabit are beautifully depicted in a compassionate stop motion style, where texture and lighting capture the heart of this stop-motion masterpiece.

Oshi, Keria and Selaï make their way through the dense jungle

The jungle emerges as a character itself. Initially presented as a cluttered and risky pathway, it gradually unfolds its wonders to the audience. The display of diverse creatures and critters teleports the viewers into a living jungle alongside the characters, shown brilliantly through exquisite lighting and animation.

While comparisons with its predecessor are inevitable due to the high standard it set, expecting a carbon copy would disregard the director’s unique offerings. The film effectively expands a seemingly simple world into a complex narrative, following the same method Courgette used, but this time using the environment as a protagonist while Kéria embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

Kéria with her Grandfather

Sauvages marks the triumphant comeback of Claude Barras in the director’s chair. Although the setting may not be as identifiable as the playground reality of his previous work, the universal messages of self-discovery, empathy towards others, and environmental preservation apply to both young and adult audiences.