After the tragic social setting of “Mustang” and tense political climate of “Under the Sun,” a colorful claymation like the 2016 film “My Life as a Zucchini” seemed like a necessary intermission to lighten the mood of Subtitled and serve as a more palatable recommendation. In a sense, this turned out to be true, but that is not to say the film should be taken lightly or dismissed as intended only for children. “My Life as a Zucchini” is indeed a playful animation, but the topics it discusses are perhaps more fitting for a serious melodrama. In a span of only 70 minutes, director Claude Barras touches on themes of love, abuse, abandonment, death and betrayal through the innocent eyes of mistreated children. For this accomplishment, it was nominated in the 2017 Golden Globes for Best Animated Feature and the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
“My Life as a Zucchini” tells the story of nine-year-old Zucchini (voiced by Gaspard Schlatter) as his life sees a dramatic transition. In one of the opening scenes, he is seen building a tower out of the many discarded beer cans of his disgruntled mother, creating magic from misery. This is just one example of the many moments where Barras highlights the ability of childhood wonder to overpower external circumstance. After Zucchini unexpectedly loses his mother, he must learn to adapt to life in a foster home with other orphaned children. Although at first isolated from the group, a bond grows between all of the children as they build a community of trust and support. They learn to love each other the way they wished they had been loved by their families and support each other even if no one else will. With the help of his new friends, a new love interest and a friendly police officer, Raymond, Zucchini turns an otherwise frightening situation into a beautiful new start.
“My Life as a Zucchini,” or “Ma Vie de Courgette,” is made by a Swiss director but presented with French dialogue. Unlike many other foreign films, though, the country of origin is of little importance; there are no overarching political or national themes. Instead, Barras relies on the ubiquitous. He creates a universe unique to the film and welcomes the viewer into it with colorful scenery and captivating stop motion. The bright visual style of the film stands in stark contrast to the truly dark subject matter at hand. The world within “My Life as a Zucchini” reminds the viewer of what it is like to see the beauty and optimism in life as children do. In that sense, it wouldn’t matter what language was used; he is touching on a feeling that is completely universal. For this reason, it is a film that can be appreciated by viewers of all ages and backgrounds. It is filled with moments that will break your heart, but it offers even more moments that will warm it.
“My Life as a Zucchini” is available on Netflix (with an English dialogue option for those of you that prefer to avoid reading during the summer), Amazon and iTunes.
