France, Luxembourg

Synopsis

Somewhere between Montmartre and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny lean over a large white sheet of paper and bring to life a mischievous and endearing boy, Little Nicolas. From schoolyard games and fights to summer camp prank and camaraderie, Nicolas lives a merry and enriching childhood. As the adventures of Nicolas and his friends unfold, the boy makes his way into his creators’ workshop and light-heartedly questions them. Sempé and Goscinny will recount the story of their friendship, career, and reveal a childhood filled with hopes and dreams.

Director's Statement

LITTLE NICHOLAS - HAPPY AS CAN BE is a story of resilience. It is a movie about two people who were robbed of their childhood and who imagined for Little Nicholas a dreamt-up childhood, and who developed a bright, humorous, radiant character in order to deal with the tragedies they both lived through as children. It's an incredible tale about friendship, creativity and growing up.

Director's Biography

Amandine Fredon came to cinema through drawing. After studying art, she naturally turned to animation, working mainly at the Folimage studio based in Valence (France), for about fifteen years. Amandine Fredon directed animated series for television: C'EST BON with French cook Jean Pierre Coffe, ARIOL based on the comics by Emmanuel Guibert and Marc Boutavant, HOW TO DIE CLEVER, adapted from Marion Montaigne's books for Arte, as well as a commercial based on the books LUCRÈCE by Anne Goscinny and Catel.

Benjamin Massoubre discovered the richness and diversity of animation in the Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival. This interest quickly became a passion, then a vocation. After studying editing, Benjamin worked as an assistant on live action films and commercials before finally being able to work on animated projects. First as an assistant editor and then as an editor on various TV series before moving on to feature films with prestigious movies such as LONG WAY NORTH and CALAMITY directed by Rémi Chayé, BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES directed by Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert, LITTLE VAMPIRE directed by Joann Sfar, Academy-Award Nominee "I LOST MY BODY directed by Jérémy Clapin or THE SUMMITS OF THE GODS directed by Patrick Imbert.

FILMOGRAPHY:
2022- LITTLE NICHOLAS - HAPPY AS CAN BE, Animated Feature Film
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: Amandine Fredon, Benjamin Massoubre

Written by: Michel Fessler, Benjamin Massoubre, Anne Goscinny

Main Producer: Lilian Eche

Produced by: Cédric Pilot, Christel Hénon

Editing: Benjamin Massoubre

Original Score: Ludovic Bource

Animation: Juliette Laurent

Cast: Simon Faliu, Alain Chabat, Laurent Lafitte

Producer: Aton Soumache

Nominations and Awards

  • European Animated Feature Film 2022