05/11/2015 - Produced by Nord-Ouest and Studio O, the next animated movie by Michel Ocelot will be co-produced by the film arm of the Franco-German channel

Arte France Cinéma (managed by Olivier Père) co-produces and pre-purchases around 25 feature films every year and, since 2012, has consistently included an animated title among these movies. Following April and the Extraordinary World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christian Desmares and Fran…
film profile] by Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci (which has been screening in French theatres since yesterday), Red Turtle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Michael Dudok de Wit (read the news) and Louise en hiver by Jean-François Laguionie, it is now time for Michel Ocelot’s project Dilili à Paris [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] to be selected. The film, production of which is about to get under way with a view to getting it finished in 2018, will be the seventh feature by the filmmaker, after Princes and Princesses, the Kirikou trilogy, Azur et Asmar [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2006, racking up 1.7 million admissions in France) and Tales of the Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michel Ocelot
film profile] (in competition at Berlin in 2011).

Written by Michel Ocelot, the story follows the adventures of Dilili, a little mixed-race girl from New Caledonia who is discovering Paris during the Belle Epoque (around 1900). For months, the Parisians have been watching her as she has gone about her life in a recreated Kanak village, while she, in turn, decides to watch the Parisians... But most importantly, there is a mystery to solve: little girls are being kidnapped... A young delivery boy on a tricycle, who knows Paris like the back of his hand, accompanies young Dilili amidst all the fascinating men and women, who pass on information, clues and ideas to our young heroes. They will blow the lid off a mysterious sect, and will fight for an existence where they can live and work together, in broad daylight...

Produced by Christophe Rossignon and Philip Boëffard for Nord-Ouest Films (who were already partners on Azur et Asmar and Tales of the Night) and by Studio O (Michel Ocelot’s own company), Dilili à Paris is benefiting from a budget of €6.9 million, covering 400 days of production. Besides Arte France Cinéma, the feature is being co-produced by Belgian outfit Artémis Productions, German firm Senator Film Produktion and Mars Films (which will handle distribution in France). Having been pre-purchased by OCS, the film is also being supported by the CNC’s advance on receipts and by the Ile-de-France region. International sales are managed by Wild Bunch.

For the record, Arte France Cinéma is also backing the upcoming films by Bertrand Bonello, Olivier Assayas, Arnaud des Pallières, Bruno Dumont, Mia Hansen-Løve, Alain Guiraudie, Paul Verhoeven, Sergei Loznitsa, Alessandro Comodin, Serge Bozon, Mehmet Can Mertoglu, Whit Stillman, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Samuel Maoz, Mohamed Diab, Axelle Ropert, Hafsia Herzi, Caroline Deruas, Rayhana Obermeyer, Davy Chou, Sacha Wolff, Thierry de Peretti, and sisters Delphine and Muriel Coulin.

(Translated from French)