Maya, Give Me a Title

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Michel Gondry returns to his roots with this wildly creative animated omnibus, assembling surreal two-dimensional adventures to entertain his young daughter.

Living on a different continent to his four-year-old daughter, Maya, iconic French filmmaker Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Mood Indigo, MIFF 2013) comes up with a way to connect with her: she gives him a title for a story, and he turns it into a handmade animated adventure. Across the years, Maya is rendered as a mermaid, alien, detective, sea captain and photojournalist – but will she reach a point where she outgrows dad’s game?

Assembling a host of animated miniatures that Gondry turned out across six years for an audience of one, Maya, Give Me a Title is a showcase for the director’s wild imagination. Recapturing the exuberant creative spirit of his legendary early music videos, Gondry uses paper cut-outs and stop-motion animation to entertain and engage with his child and the audience alike. Often peeling back to reveal his methods and offer a how-to primer for animation, the Berlinale Children’s Jury award-winner is a universal valentine to storytelling and its seminal place in the parent–child bond.

“Gondry expands his eclectic filmography with this rejuvenating fantasia, revealing another facet of his creativity … Offers a delicious mélange of the surreal and the silly for all ages.” – The Hollywood Reporter