Japanese animation added to Cannes mix

Director Mamoru Hosoda: 'Belle is the film I’ve always dreamt to create' Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda’s latest animated film Belle has just been added to the Cannes Film Festival selection and will be presented for its world premiere during the 74th edition in the Cannes Premiere section.

Following Wolf Children (2012), The Boy And The Beast (2015), and Mirai (2018), it is the first official Selection for Mamoru Hosoda.

Mamoru Hosoda: 'I explore romance, action, and suspense as well as deeper themes' Photo: Photo Laurent Koffel

Belle is the third animation film presented this year at the Festival after the already announced Ari Folman’s Where Is Anne Frank? and The Summit Of The Gods by Patrick Imbert.

The film tells the story of Suzu, an insecure teenager living in a small town in the mountains with her father… in real life. Because in the virtual world of U, Suzu becomes Belle, a musical icon followed by more than five billion followers… With this film, Mamoru Hosoda returns to the subject of virtual worlds, already dealt with in his 2009 film Summer Wars.

"Belle is the film that I’ve always dreamt to create," said Hosoda, “I can make it today thanks to the culmination of my previous films. In this one, I explore romance, action, and suspense as well as deeper themes such as life and death. I hope that it will be a big entertaining show."

Belle will be screened on Thursday, 15 July and will be released in French cinemas on 29 December. The festival starts on Tuesday and runs until 17 July.