After his animated short for the FEAR(S) OF THE DARK (2007) anthology, legendary Italian comics artist Lorenzo Mattotti delights the spectators of the Un Certain Regard section of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival with his first feature length animation THE BEARS’ FAMOUS INVASION OF SICILY (LA FAMEUSE INVASION DES OURS EN SICILE).
The premise of the story is simple. Gedeone and the little Almerina are two travelling talesmen roaming the island of Sicily. As they struggle through a snow storm, they come across a cave and decide to take shelter. “What if there is a bear?”, young Almerina astutely asks. Gedeone teasingly dismisses this idea but as they decide to go to sleep by their small fire, the performing duo meet an old bear. Frightened of being sent back in the cold or getting eaten, the bard and his assistant decide to entertain the intimidating animal with the story of Léonce the Bear King, his son Tonio and the bears’ famous invasion of Sicily.
“The animation style is unique and awe inspiring”
Before the screening began, the production team – including Mattotti and two of the main voice actors from the film’s French version, Leïla Bekhti and Arthur Dupont – was invited on stage to say a few words. The director delivered a moving speech, ending with: “I made this fable for the children, and for the families, to offer them a new window into the world of make-belief that is not American nor Japanese, a world of European make-belief”.
“Most importantly, this animation does not feature a stereotypical happy ending, and instead offers a mature approach to storytelling for children”
Mattotti undeniably and skilfully succeeds. The animation style is unique and awe inspiring. One can easily recognise the artist’s signature elegant drawing technique. The film does not shy away from vibrant colours and creates an idiosyncratic world of fantasy in which bears and humans coexist without raising any scepticism. Watching this film on the silver screen felt as if a children’s book came to life before our eyes (and, to be honest, I doubt that it will be any different on a home screen).
The director opens a new window thanks to the thematic and narrative choices. Based on novelist Dino Buzzati’s 1945 children’s tale of the same name, the film reprises a style of storytelling that is quite distinctive in Italian culture, one that has rarely been explored by the world of animation. It can easily be read as a political allegory, which makes it extremely relevant in this day and age. Most importantly, this animation does not feature a stereotypical happy ending, and instead offers a mature approach to storytelling for children. If one has to nitpick, some of the images are quite repetitive and film could have been shortened a bit, which would have added more intensity. Either way, THE BEARS’ FAMOUS INVASION OF SICILY does not only entertain and fascinate, it also wishes to educate its young and adult audiences alike. It is sure to leave an impression after its viewing.