Michel Ocelot: Raconteur of animation

A poster advertises the animation Dilili in Paris [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Promoting gender equality in new works

After two years' waiting, his latest animation, Dilili in Paris, is set to hit the big screen in 2018. When introducing the highlights, the director had something to say about gender issues.

In Dilili in Paris, the director has set two story lines on the part of the people and the city of Paris. In portraying Paris, Ocelot tries to express the city positively through exquisite French architectural style, charming women, convenient traffic and modern lifestyles. In discussing human relationships, the director aims to reveal human weakness through little stories in life.

"As a matter of fact, women have played a significant role in our lives, a universal truth that never changes in the world. However, they have encountered many difficulties in work, social life and even in the family. Therefore, I have to address and square up to these problems in upcoming works," Ocelot said.

People who are familiar with Michel Ocelot's style know that his work, more often than not, draws unique cultural elements from a certain country, such as the shadow play in the Tales of the Night and tribe culture in the Kirikou series.

"I am not the kind of person who just does Chinese-style animation to appeal to Chinese or Japanese-style cartoons to the Japanese. Instead, animation should be accessible to people of different backgrounds, races and countries," Ocelot said.

And this time he has chosen Paris for the new animation.

He did so because, first of all, he has been living in Paris for several decades and has a strong bond with the city. It is time that he made an animation in this place. Secondly, people often use the word "romantic" to describe the metropolis. But the charm of Paris is more than that: Paris can be energetic, still, passionate and calm. Also, he hopes that viewers can see a different Paris after watching it.