I Lost My Body
A severed hand goes in search of its owner in this endlessly inventive, surprisingly moving animated adventure that won the Cannes Critics Week Grand Prix.
The feature film debut from award-winning animated short-film director Jérémy Clapin (Palmipédarium, MIFF 2013) follows the journey of its five-fingered hero as it jumps and tumbles through the streets of Paris in search of its owner – a young pizza delivery driver by the name of Naoufel.
Between fending off pigeon attacks and deadly metro rats – in breathtaking miniature action set pieces, rendered in stunning 2D animation – the hand tries to piece together the memories of its past life. Meanwhile, in scenes set in the past, Naoufel struggles with loneliness and unrequited love. Clapin, working from a screenplay he co-wrote with Amelie screenwriter Guillaume Laurant, channels the moments of sense memory into a surprisingly affecting account of life and loss.
“If The Beast with Five Fingers were updated into an eerie yet heartfelt coming-of-age cartoon, the result would be something like I Lost My Body… A highly original and rather touching account of loss, both physical and emotional.” – The Hollywood Reporter