My Life as a Zucchini
Directed by Claude Barras
- animation
- comedy
- drama
The story
After his mother’s death, Zucchini is befriended by a kind police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home filled with other orphans his age. There, with the help of his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust and love as he searches for a new family of his own.
What it’s like
Handmade stop-motion with lumpy clay faces, oversized expressive eyes and visible fingerprints in the modelling, set against soft, muted landscapes of a Swiss hillside and a cramped, mismatched orphanage. Colours lean toward faded greens, wool-grey skies and warm lamplight indoors, and the camera stays at child height, lingering on small gestures. The score is sparse and tender, with plucked strings and long stretches where only rain, creaking floorboards or children's voices fill the room. The vibe is bittersweet and quietly funny: grief sits close to the surface, eased by sharp kid humour and a gentle, low-key warmth. It suits a rainy weekend, a slow evening curled up, or a family watch where younger viewers can join. Intensity is low: a parent's death is referred to and one character's drinking is shown with restraint, but there is no violence, no gore and no real threat beyond sadness. The pacing is unhurried and the mood tender and melancholy, following a wounded, guarded boy slowly learning to trust a found family. It is for viewers who want heart without cruelty, and emotion that feels earned rather than manipulative.
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