Michel Ocelot short films

Both information and images of Ocelot's early series and shorts is surprisingly elusive. Other than Gédéon, which is significant enough to have its own page, this is all the information and media I know of. See the Michel Ocelot videography for video releases of these titles.

Les Trois inventeurs The Three Inventors

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Les Filles de l'égalité The Daughters of Equality

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Beyond Oil

A live-action educational film directed by Philippe Vallois; Michel Ocelot contributed the animated segments.

La Légende du pauvre bossu The Legend of the Poor Hunchback

An cut-out animated film without animation, made in part to try out the technique for its suitability for creating a feature film with a relatively small team and budget but also its appropriateness for evoking his impression of the Middle Ages as a time of social immobility. Ocelot mentioned in a 2008 interview that he was still interested in making such a film. ocelot05.jpg

Les Quatres vœux du Vilain Vilain's Four Wishes

A tale of Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 750A, its degree of sexual explicitness saw it denied access to several animation-specific festivals, including Annecy. However, it was included in the official selection at Cannes, won an award in Millau and toured North America in a programme of "Outrageous Animation" in 1989. ocelot08.jpg

Les Contes de la nuit Tales of the Night

A 26-minute TV special, it consists of 3 fairy tales: "La Belle Fille et le sorcier" ("The Beautiful Girl and the Sorcerer"), "Bergère qui danse" ("The Dancing Shepherdess") and "Le Prince des joyaux" ("Prince of the Gems"). According to the Princes et princesses DVD, it was broadcast by CANAL+ in France, ZDF in Germany and Channel 4 in the UK. I don't know whether it was dubbed or subititled, nor what the German and English names were, but I have finally found one still from each of the three stories. All I know is that it was produced at Trans Europe Film, and by Didier Brunner – he mentions it here — who would go on to found Les Armateurs in order to produce, among other things, an Ocelot-directed feature film (that film was, of course, Kirikou et la sorcière). Again going on indirect references, it seems to be a silhouette animation in much the same style as Ciné si and judging from its title, it is likely that Ocelot's current project, Bergères et dragons, will include footage from it.

2008-10-17
That "current project" now seems to have morphed into an original television series, with Les Contes being included on the Les Trésors cachés DVD. Judging from the brief extracts linked to below, the characters of Les Contes are somewhat more abstracted and geometric than those of Ciné si, even more akin to those which adorn the pottery of ancient Greece, while animation-wise there is an even greater use of replacements rather than jointed movement, all of which suggest a desire to further disassociate his own work from the dominant style of Lotte Reiniger.

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Earth Intruders

A tribe of adult Kirikous rampage across a swirling marble backdrop in an allegory of the essentially destructive nature of being alive. The technique of a live action dancer filmed in silhouette, augmented by 3D CGI, traditional animation and cut-outs resulted from the narrow time period the production had to fit into — it needed to be finished two months before he had intended to start shooting. ocelot15.jpg

Kirikou et Karaba Kirikou and Karaba

Features songs by Youssou N'Dour and Rokia Traoré, choreography by Wayne McGregor and instrumental music by Robin Rimbaud, aka Scanner. ocelot16.jpg

Kirikou découvre les animaux d'Afrique Kirikou Discovers the Animals of Africa

A partly-animated documentary directed by by Jean-François Bordier; it reuses some footage from Kirikou et la sorcière and Kirikou et les bêtes sauvages. ocelot17.jpg

L'Invité aux noces The Wedding Guest

Previously referred to as Les Noces d'Azur et Asmar (The Wedding of Azur and Asmar), the title was expanded to L'Invité aux noces d'Azur et Asmar (The Guest at the Wedding of Azur and Asmar) and then shortened to L'Invité aux noces (The Wedding Guest) or even simply L'Invité (The Guest). It is included in both Les Trésors cachés de Michel Ocelot and the French Blu-ray Disc of Azur et Asmar.
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