Indie Sales has acquiredJapanese directorMomoko Seto’s “Dandelion’s Odyssey,” an ecological fable animated by Guionne Leroy (“Toy Story”) and scored by Nicolas Becker (“Sound of metal”) and Quentin Sirjacq.
Shot from Japan to Iceland,“Dandelion’s Odyssey” is an adventure set in a dystopian world and is reminiscent of“Microcosmos,” with plants and animals as the main characters. The feature boasts a mix of timelapse photography, as well as live-action shooting and 3D animation. Most of the production is being done in France, where Seto is based. Seto is best known for her shorts “Planet A,” “Planet Z” and “Planet ∑,” which played at Locarno and the Berlin Film Festival, respectively.
“Dandelion’s Odyssey”follows the journey of four friends, Dendelion, Baraban, Léonto and Taraxa, who were rescuedfrom a succession of nuclear explosions that destroyed the Earth and hurled into the cosmos. Upon landing on an unknown planet, they set off on a quest to find a newhavenwhich willguarantee the survival of their species.Indie Sales will launch an exclusive promo teaser at the Cannes Film Market.
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“The anthropocentric view of nature and the hierarchy between living things established by humans have always seemed alien to me. To focus on these small yet sensitive things in the plant world, magnifying them, is to propose an alternative perspective on nature, often overlooked, far from the human exception,” Seto said. “It seems to me essential and vital today to pass on this alternative way of understanding life to the new generations, through the sensory experience that is cinema.”
She said she “envisioned dandelion achenes as the heroes of an action film, ready to explore a new world (which is, in fact, our world) to ensure the survival of their species.”
Indie Sales has previously handled high-profileanimated films, including the Oscar-nominated “My Life as a Zucchini,” which sold in more than 80 territories. The company has also worked with French banner Miyu, which is behind a string of international hitsincluding“Chicken for Linda!,” “Letter to a Pig” and the Directors’Fortnight-bound“Ghost Cat Anzu.”
The film’s producers, Emmanuel-Alain Raynal and Pierre Baussaron, said “Dandelion’s Odyssey”will aim “to push the boundaries of animation even further, demonstrating how these techniques can greatly contribute to contemporary storytelling.”
“By adopting the point of view of the plant world, Momoko Seto unfolds a spectacular and marvelous universe through an extraordinary production and the creation of never-before-seen images, offering audiences of all ages a powerful and contemporary ecological tale on a living scale,” Raynal and Baussaron said.
“Dandelion’s Odyssey” is co-produced by Ecce Films, Arte CinémaandU Media in Belgium, and receivedthe support of the French Gan Cinema Foundation.
Nicolas Eschbach, Indie Sales co-founder, and Eleanor Coleman, head of animation, described “Dandelion’s Odyssey” as an “epic ecological animated feature combining a poetic journey with a strong wake up call reminiscent of Miyazaki.”
“This daringand fascinating film by Momoko Seto is as relevant today as ‘Microcosmos’ was 30 years ago,” the pair continued.
“Dandelion’s Odyssey” is expected to be delivered next year and will be released in France by leading animation distributor Gebeka Films.
