Amélie Nothomb's childhood told in an animated film

The animated film adaptation of Amélie Nothomb 's Metaphysics of Tubes , aimed at children and adults alike, will be released in French cinemas on Wednesday, June 25. The film, directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, was presented in a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May and won the Audience Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June. A dreamlike tale, Amélie and the Metaphysics of Tubes seeks to recreate the somewhat surreal world of this autobiography of the novelist's early childhood, spent in Japan.

"From the start, everyone told us that the novel, a philosophical tale of early childhood from zero to three years old, was unadaptable ," smiles Maïlys Vallade, in an interview with AFP. "It's a book that unleashes passions, many people have read it or have an idea of ​​it ." To address everyone, "we chose to use a cinematic grammar at the child's level, while developing mature, philosophical notions."

The directorial duo worked for seven years, mainly on writing and rewriting the adaptation and the voiceover that cradles the very colorful images. To convince Amélie Nothomb to let them adapt her work, the filmmakers wrote her a handwritten letter. Through her publishing house, "she sent us a reply that her books are her children, and their adaptations are her grandchildren. She does not wish to participate in the education of her grandchildren."

Also read: Pixar's strong comeback at the Annecy Animation Film Festival

From then on, the directors had carte blanche. A special feature of the film is that it was made entirely in France, with a crew of around 150 people. Belgian writer Amélie Nothomb, a star of French-language literature, has rarely been adapted for the screen. Brought to the screen by Alain Corneau , Stupeurs et tremblants earned Sylvie Testud the César Award for Best Actress in 2004.

Trailer for Amélie and the Metaphysics of Tubes (2025)