For directors Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Rogers, an early WIP screening was interrupted by news of Russia’s attack; they quickly realized their film, about healing a broken, suppressed country, was more relevant and real than ever, giving them an even more heightened sense of purpose.
During a work-in-progress screening of Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger’s animated feature, Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, almost a decade after the first film released in 2013, the directors were shocked by the news that war had broken out between Russia and Ukraine and their upcoming film, about healing a broken and suppressed country, had become more relevant than ever.
“We were in the middle of development,” remembers Chheng. “We had our art direction, the storyboarding was done, and I remember, we were very silent, speechless, because it shook us that the movie was speaking about this reality. And we didn't expect that, to be talking about something so real now within the movie. But it gave us even more strength to finish the film and show it, not only in France but also in eastern countries, in foreign countries, countries where there are some issues with freedom of speech, so that kids and families can reflect on those questions. The war gave our film a heightened purpose.”
Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, which releases in select U.S. theaters Friday, September 1 curtesy of GKIDS, is produced by Folivari, Mélusine Productions, and StudioCanal and serves as the follow-up to the Oscar-nominated Ernest & Celestine, a story of a bear and a mouse becoming the closest and most unlikely of friends. That successful 2D-animated feature is based on a series of children's books of the same name published by the Belgian author and illustrator Gabrielle Vincent.
Nominated for Best Animated Feature at France’s 48th César Awards, A Trip to Gibberitia features the unorthodox duo – mouse Celestine and bear Ernest – making their way to Ernest’s hometown of Gibberitia to repair Celestine’s broken violin. Though Ernest has boasted of his country’s penchant for musical expression, he’s shocked to discover all forms of music have been banned in Gibberitia for many years, and a land once known across the world for its incredible musicians has fallen silent. It is up to Ernest and Celestine and their new friends, including a mysterious masked outlaw, to bring music and happiness back to the land of bears.
Check out the trailer here:
“I started on the first film as an animator,” remembers Chheng. “I learned a lot and it has influenced my whole life since then. It was a great honor and a great opportunity, 10 years after the first film, to revisit and give our own vision to this world and try to incorporate some of our own touch. We really wanted to take the audience on a ride into Ernest’s past and put them through a lot of different emotions and hopefully cause them to reflect on their own lives.”
That was the goal when Chheng and Roger were approached about doing a second film while they were also co-directing the TV series Ernest & Celestine, The Collection (2017-2021). Insistent that this second film would simply be a “sequel,” Chheng and Roger slaved over ideas and topics to focus on, eventually landing on the idea of victory over oppression.
“I think it’s useless to tell children that it’s only a beautiful world and everything is good,” notes Roger. “Our children live in the real world. Some are even refugees. So, we have to be open with them about what it’s really like. But, even more important, is being aware of that you have the potential to change your reality. You have the potential to change your life, even if it's difficult, and it takes so much determination to do it. Ernest and Celestine can change what happens in Gibberitia because of their friendship, because of their determination. Children can also build their own lives. They can build their own world.”
Roger’s faith in children’s ability to grasp life-changing concepts at early ages is well-founded. Near the end of 2017, a selection of four episodes of Ernest & Celestine, The Collection was released in theatres – under the title Ernest & Celestine in Winter – in several countries, including Russia.
“The reaction of the children was amazing,” shares Roger. “They loved the characters so much and asked questions about respecting people different from themselves, how they can be friends with these people, and how they can achieve what they dream of doing. Everywhere in the world, children want to be free to build their life. It's a magical thing, when something starts making sense to a young person because of a movie.”
The messages woven into the stories of Ernest & Celestine seemed destined for the young minds of Russia and Ukraine from the beginning, with the designs of the first movie having a “Russian influence,” as noted by Chheng, with colors infused into this second film paying homage to Ukraine as well.
“The colors of the birds in Gibberitia, blue and yellow, are the colors of the Ukraine flag,” says Chheng. “And that was added in before the war broke out. From the beginning, we thought about countries where you're not allowed to say all the things you want to say. Where only one voice is accepted. And that's the metaphor of music and certain notes being forbidden.”
Roger adds, “I think there are lots of invisible influences that we put in the story. And sometimes things happen that you did not calculate for, that you did not imagine.”
The country of Gibberitia is inspired by a collection of places in Eastern Europe, including Moldova, as well as Roger’s memories of a trip he had made on the Silk Road in northern Pakistan and China. The mountains of Ernest’s home are inspired by the mighty Himalayas separating Tibet from India; each of these countries is known for their oppressive regimes or struggles against such oppression.
“We really wanted to take children on a journey where they can ask their parents questions about our world at the end of the movie, and about the actual reality of some countries where you're not allowed to express all the things you’d like to say or do,” explains Chheng.
And yet, even with so much complex thought about the human experience packed into a children’s animated film, Chheng and Roger hope that the serene watercolors and illustrative animations are a tender conduit for the ideas they’d like to express within the story.
“It conveys a heartwarming feeling and a world that you still want to go into and experience,” says Chheng. “These relaxing colors and beautiful animations also take you by surprise with the characters. They're very lively and have strong opinions and strong dilemmas, like needing to find solutions to save the country and liberate Ernest’s town. That can give you room to surprise the audience and to make them sit at the edge of their seats, just to see how it's going to unfold. That's great drama you can show to children.”
Roger adds, “Since my wife and I first got married, the Ernest & Celestine books have been members of our home. One of the reasons Gabrielle’s drawings are so moving is because, even though Celestine is a mouse, the way she acts, you have seen children doing these kinds of things. The painted style just fits, and it helps you understand and care for these characters.”
The watercolor look was one of the most important, as well as the most difficult, aspects of the film’s production. Luckily, 10 years of animation technology worked in the team’s favor this time around.
“For this film, we used the TV Paint software, which allowed us to draw animation frame-by-frame digitally, reproducing characteristics of the drawings on paper very well,” explains Chheng. “This software also helped us animate the colors in order for them to look like watercolor, right from the start of the process. On the previous film, it took a couple different teams to actually get that look perfect. The first team would animate the flat 2D, but then a second team would colorize it and rework the lines so that it looks more watercolor-like. The process was heavy. This time around, it was more direct and simple.”
The creative team spent many long hours straddling the line between complex philosophies and simple storytelling, detailed backgrounds, and narrow-focused visuals, creating a story that teaches new ideas to children and reminds their parents of kindness concepts they may have long forgotten.
“Back in the days we were making this first film, adult animation was not as popular and the film was mostly for children, but it had layers to it that adults could appreciate,” says Chheng. “With this second film, we wanted to make sure none of these ideas were expressed in a cynical way or with humor for the sake of humor. The tenderness of Ernest & Celestine is something rare to see in a movie and I think we need those kinds of feelings a bit more.”
With less than a week before the U.S. theatrical release, and with war still raging between Russia and Ukraine, Chheng says their efforts are now in the hands of the audience. “It's their film now,” he says. “But we're very eager to hear their feedback.”
And, as far as a third film goes?
“We'll see,” says Chheng. “The second took 10 years, and it was never a matter of doing a second film just for the sake of doing a sequel. It was a matter of the right story presenting itself. It would be the same for the third film.”
Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all things anime. She's reported on numerous stories from activist news to entertainment. Find more about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.
