Synopsis

The tiny Kirikou is born into an African village upon which a sorceress called Karaba has cast a terrible spell: the spring has dried up, the villagers are being blackmailed, men of the village have either been kidnapped or have mysteriously disappeared. "She eats them!", the superstitious villagers declare. But no sooner has Kirikou delivered himself from his mother's womb than he wants to rid the village of Karaba's curse and understand the cause of her wickedness. His adventure-filled voyage leads Kirikou to the Forbidden Mountain, where the Wise Man of the Mountain, who knows of Karaba and her secrets, awaits him.

Michel Ocelot

Michel Ocelot (1943, France) spent his childhood in Guinea, his teenage years in Anjou and lives in Paris. After studying art, he has dedicated his whole career to animated films and personal creation. Since the very beginning, all his works have been based on his own screenplays and graphic designs. He has directed a number of animated series and short films, works which helped establish his name on the festival circuit and in professional circles (for six years Ocelot has been President of ASIFA). Animafest made a comprehensive retrospective of his work in 2009 presenting his films, all immersed in a distinct atmosphere and aesthetics owing to the technique used – silhouette animation. He directed feature films Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998), Princes and Princesses (2000), Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) and Azur and Asmar: The Prince’s Quest (2006) among others.