Little Amélie

Bluesky

In the beginning, the only thing that existed was God, we are told at the start of this film. And God, if you think about it, was basically a tube. Stuff went in and stuff came out. That was all there was to it for a long time, until one day, God was born.

It’s possible that every baby would think of itself this way if possessed of sufficient education and articulateness. Amélie (a semi-autobiographical creation of the author Amélie Nothomb) is an unusual baby. Born in a vegetative state – or, as she identifies it, a state of deific serenity – she remains entirely passive for two and a half years, quietly observing the world around her. It’s an earthquake that suddenly results in her standing, and then uttering her first sounds, in outrage, when she falls. Subsequent weeks of mayhem are brought to an end by a visit from her grandmother, who introduces her to white chocolate and the realisation that the world can offer her pleasure. Within weeks, she is walking, running – entering the world of outlaws and superheroes. It’s not long until she’s also talking.

One of our regular writers here at Eye For Film was also a silent child, going straight from saying nothing to speaking in complete sentences at the age of four, but it’s incredibly rare for such children to be represented in film as fully developed characters rather than puzzles for heroic adults to solve. Amélie doesn’t just narrate but completely dominates this film as a personality. The only thing she treats as an equal is the hoover, whose mysterious ability to make things vanish leads her to conclude that it too must be a god, and therefore her brother.

Nothomb grew up as the child of a Belgian diplomat in Kobe, Japan. The film reflects this – the version Nothomb remembers, that is, which is not necessarily accurate. The animation also blends traditions from both countries. Little Amélie knows nothing of her Belgian heritage but still grows up speaking French and getting on the wrong side of the landlady, who is still grieving for the loved ones she lost in the war, and blames all white people for it. The family’s maid, Nishio, was orphaned by the war, but is part of a younger generation who see things differently. Amélie forms an intense bond with her, and it’s their relationship around which much of the film is built.

With its distinctive look and Amélie’s unforgettable personality, this is a film which may not yet have major name recognition, but it’s getting attention from the major awards organisations, and in 2026’s animation categories, it might deliver a few surprises.

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