"You were the only one who saw who I really was." This film! GKids has unveiled the official US trailer for Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, also known as just Little Amélie, a beautiful animated film from France. From directors Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes (the original title) is the story of Amélie, a Belgian girl living in Japan, who adores nature and all the spectacular beauty of the outdoors. The story explores life with her companion Nishio-san, a caretaker for the family. Her third birthday becomes a turning point, marking the beginning of life-altering events that will shape her understanding of the world. With the voices of Emmylou Homs, Loïse Charpentier, Laetitia Coryn, Yumi Fujimori, and Isaac Schoumsky. I saw this at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and it really left me in awe - which is the exact quote they use on this trailer and poster! I'm a huge fan of this film. There aren't enough superlatives to describe how beautiful it is. Even though the 2D animation style seems simplistic, it's certainly not, once it gets moving and everyone is swept up in all these adventures in her little world it is breathtaking. I'm very happy they're giving this a proper theatrical release in this US this November. Enjoy.
Follows the young Amélie - born in Japan to Belgian parents - as she navigates an extraordinary early childhood. For the first two-and-a-half years of her life, she exists in a state of pure sensation, detached from typical human experiences - metaphorically described as "a digestive tube, inert and vegetative". But on her third birthday, a transformative event awakens her to the world. Over the next six months, she discovers language, family, a heavenly garden, Japan, water, the changing seasons and the passage of time. Drawing on the Japanese belief that children are considered divine until the age of three, the film explores how this brief period, filled with joy & sorrow, is a foundational element in shaping her identity.
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, originally known as Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes in French, is co-directed by filmmakers Liane-Cho Han Jin Kuang (animator on The Illusionist, Long Way North, Ethel & Ernest, Calamity a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary) & Mailys Vallade (of The Lighthouse Keeper short, artist on Calamity a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary), making their feature directorial debut with this project. The screenplay is written by Liane-Cho Han Jin Kuang, Eddine Noël, Aude Py, and Mailys Vallade. Adapted from the book written by Amélie Nothomb. Produced by Claire La Combe, Edwina Liard, Henri Magalon, and Nidia Santiago. This first premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year (read our review) and it's next playing TIFF this month before release. GKids will debut Little Amélie or the Character of Rain in US theaters nationwide starting November 7th, 2025 late this fall. Beautiful?