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Journalism of Courage
Even as KPOP Demon Hunters continues to break streaming records and dominate music charts, the wildly popular film is likely to face stiff competition from festival favourites such as Arco and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain as awards season approaches. In Arco, the 10-year-old titular protagonist — dressed in a rainbow suit — travels from a distant future and falls from the sky. Serving as a cautionary tale about humanity’s failure to protect the environment, the film follows his friendship with a young girl named Iris. The French-language Little Amélie tells the story of a Belgian girl born in Japan. She is considered “vegetative” until her grandmother introduces her to chocolate, which sparks her curiosity and awakens her connection to the world.
Both these animated films, which were showcased at the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) after premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, centre around child protagonists while offering deeper reflections on the world around them. Set in 1960s’ Japan, Little Amélie explores not only the boundless imagination and curiosity of a three-year-old but also themes of post-war trauma and the healing power of forgiveness. Based on Belgian author Amélie Nothomb’s acclaimed memoir Métaphysique des tubes (The Character of Rain), the film, directed by Mäilys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, is a dreamy, visually striking and moving tale.
Told through the eyes of three-year-old Amélie, as she moves from infancy into early childhood, the film employs impressionistic-inspired animation and a pastel palette to evoke a sense of wonder. Drawing from the author’s memories of her early years in Japan’s Kobe, the story unfolds as Amélie is cared for by her housekeeper Nishio-San. Though Nishio-San lost her family in the war at a young age, she forms a deep bond with Amélie, nurturing her imagination and introducing her to the wonders of nature.
In the sci-fi fantasy Arco, the 10-year-old protagonist accidentally time-travels to the year 2075 from an even more distant future. Paris-based writer-director Ugo Bienvenu envisions a world where humans live inside domes that shield them from extreme weather, relying heavily on androids for their day-to-day functions. In this technology-dependent society, robots manage households and raise children, while parents appear only as holograms at the dinner table.
The movie, which is co-produced by Natalie Portman (whose voice also features in its English version), uses time travel as a key device to bring two children from different eras together. The film underlines the loneliness of children as gadgets substitute for parents. Iris’s parents are hardly present physically though their trusted robot Mikki deeply cares for her and her brother Peter. The story focuses on Arco’s quest to return home, aided by Iris, after his misadventure born of ignoring his parents’ advice.
With Arco, Bienvenu who has previously directed several videos and short films, makes his feature film debut. The story of a little boy from the future found support from Portman, who introduced Bienvenu as “a new voice” before the movie’s screening at TIFF, which was also the first time the English version of the movie was screened.
Set to music by the Japanese composer Mari Fukuhara, the story of Amélie’s childhood unfolds over the four seasons covered by the story. Vallade, who is the lead director, screenwriter and storyboarder for the movie, has been associated with projects like The Little Prince, A Man is Dead and I Lost My Body. Co-director Han has worked on several titles, including Long Way North.
In recent years, animated features have been enjoying critical acclaim for their nuanced storytelling and emotional depth, apart from striking visual language. The 2025 Oscar nominees for Best Animated Feature included Inside Out 2, Memoir of a Snail, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and The Wild Robot. The award ultimately went to Flow, a dialogue-free film that traces the journey of a black cat struggling to survive a great flood.
Backed by Neon, Arco and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (distributed by GKIDS) are being tipped as strong contenders for the 2026 Oscars, alongside titles such as In Your Dreams, KPOP Demon Hunters, Zootopia 2, Scarlet and Elio. These titles also reaffirm that animation remains a powerful form of cinematic expression, capable of exploring complex emotions and reflecting on the state of the world. In the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see whether these indie darlings can sustain their momentum, earn major awards and, ultimately, reach a wider audience.
