Kirikou and the Wild Beasts / Kirikou et les bêtes sauvages

France, 2005, 35 mm, colour, 75’. In French with Slovene and English subtitles.

Kirikou Screenplay: Michel Ocelot
in collboration with: Philippe Andrieu, Bénédicte Galup, Marina Locatelli
Voices: Pierre-Ndoffé Sarr (Kirikou), Awa Sène Sarr (Karaba), Robert Liensol (grandfather), Marie-Philomène Nga (mother), Emile Abossolo M’Bo (uncle), Pascal N’Zonzi (the old man), Jean Bédiebé (fetish)
Graphic Design: Michel Ocelot
in collaboration with: Olivier Reynal, Jean-Luca Serrano
Original Songs: Michel Ocelot, Youssou N’Dour, Rokia Traoré
Original Music: Manu Dibango
Editing: Dominique Lefèvre
Producer: Didier Brunner
Production: Les Armateurs, Gebeka Films, France 3 Cinéma, Studio O.

Who is Kirikou?

Kirikou Do you remember the tiny Kirikou and how unusually he came to life in Kirikou and the Sorceress? This minute boy of incredible strength could speak and walk right after he was born, and it wasn’t long before he would bravely face the evil sorceress Karaba. But that’s an old story. And now it’s time for a new one. One that will tell us the news of our tiny hero, it’s time for Kirikou and the Wild Beasts. Kirikou is still as small as ever, but he runs faster than many animals. The village still trembles with fear of the evil Karaba, and there are other dangers on the horizon. The helpless villagers moan and weep, but the little Kirikou will not wait for the gods to intervene. With so many tricks up his sleeve he always finds the right solution and shines on the paths of the villagers like a light in the darkest night.

Kirikou The animation Kirikou and the Wild Beasts in many aspects remains true to its predecessor, only this time the story consists of several shorter episodes. Life in an African village is idyllic yet harsh. Confronted with the realities that could easily alter their lives forever, the villager’s first response is always that of despair, fear and weakness. This is where the little wise man Kirikou, a tiny child with a charismatic power, comes into play. Mature in his thoughts, Kirikou aims at solving the emergency and presents a great example for the villagers to follow. Time and again he teaches them that problems are there to be solved, that sometimes one needs to be creative, sometimes persistent, and some other times courage is the key. Kirikou and the Wild Beasts is a string of poetically portrayed, unusual and absorbing stories, its slow and clear rhythm allowing the children to actively follow the narrative from beginning to and.

Film Comments

Kirikou “A wonderful cartoon combining traditional African imagery with modern graphics.” Le Monde
“Quite simply a masterpiece. And what a sight for sore eyes… and mind. 70 minutes of pure joy without an ounce of soppiness.” La vie
“Kirikou, a film-sorcerer.” Le Nouvel Observateur
“Regardless of our age we simply fall in love with this intelligent film. The gem of European animation.” Le Point
“He is really gorgeous, Kirikou: so small, tiny even, but so courageous, so smart that he’s head and shoulders above the others.” Marie-France
“An intelligent and subtle narration, staggering graphical beauty… this cartoon is the best thing that could have happened to French animation.” La Tribune
“You absolutely must show it to your children. And besides you will enjoy it just as much as they will.” Paris Match

Director’s Notes

Kirikou “I didn’t have the intention to make a second Kirikou, but the child Kirikou did not ask my opinion, he imposed himself and that was that. It was a strange experience – on the one hand, having a figment of your own imagination take over, on the other, going back to the beginning and starting from scratch... This is not a sequel to Kirikou and the Sorceress, in which our hero grows into a man. The Kirikou we have taken to heart and mind (myself as well as the audience) is the small child, naked, determined, brisk, cunning and kindhearted. I wanted to show those parts of his life, we didn’t have the time to reveal before. It was immense pleasure in bringing my hero’s thrilling adventures to life once again, in letting him rush around, speak and react – he was dictating me his lines without hesitation and the words of his mother, his grandfather, the old grump under his baobab, La femme forte, domineering but not indifferent. Karaba always shines through, she is still but a witch and yet we get a strong feeling that this unusual woman can’t escape the thoughts of the unusual little boy, and that his last words will speak of her.”
Michel Ocelot