Sébastien Laudenbach isn’t afraid to take on Bizet’s iconic “Carmen” in his latest animation, “Viva Carmen,” and make it more child-friendly.
“It’s not a film ‘adapted’ for kids, but it’s accessible to them,” he told Variety.
Set in Seville in 1845, it follows teenage Salva who works as an assistant to Antonio, a knife grinder who can also see the future. After an encounter with a soldier, José, Antonio makes a horrific prediction. Salva, accompanied by a group of street kids led by Belén, decides to change the prophecy – and save Carmen.
“Disney wouldn’t make something like ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ today. Times have changed. But this is a film for everyone. It’s very important to speak to kids in a certain way, we did that also in ‘Chicken for Linda!’ [co-directed with Chiara Malta]. As filmmakers, it is our responsibility to communicate with a young audience: they are the audience of tomorrow.”
The music was created by Amine Bouhafa and Isabelle Laudenbach.
“We started working on the music the moment we wrote the script. If you know the opera, it all becomes like a game. You recognize so many familiar patterns,” he said.
“This music is so rich, but I asked them to make it a little different. Isabelle used traditional Spanish instruments and drums; then there’s Salva’s flute, which is played in Andalucía. We also worked with an all-female flamenco band from Barcelona.”
Camélia Jordana voices the character in the French-language version. “Maybe she’s the Carmen of today? She’s her own producer, a singer, a composer and an actress. She wants to be free, too,” he said. Laudenbach is now also overseeing the Spanish version as well.
As Variety found our exclusively, singer Silvia Pérez Cruz will be the next Carmen.
“Tomorrow, Isabelle will work with Silvia on recording Carmen’s voice in Barcelona. I’m quite sad not to be there with them. It will be a great moment.”
“Viva Carmen” is a Folivari production in association with Haut et Court Distribution and Global Constellation.
“It’s a strange project,” laughed Laudenbach.
“It’s ‘Carmen,’ but it’s not ‘Carmen.’ I have a friend who knows everything about this opera and he pointed out there’s actually a song sung by children. Later on, they’re not that important – it’s all about Carmen and José. He wanted to see Carmen’s story from the perspective of children.”
That’s exactly what Laudenbach does in the film, in which the kids are trying – and mostly failing – to understand the adult world. Love, obsession, desire.
“I was looking for the truth in the relationships between all the characters, especially the children. When you have kids in your story, it has to ring true. They are orphans and thieves; they have to fight against life. But I like the scenes when they are hiding in a cave and just being kids, asking for a kiss or for a story.”
He added: “Children want to understand the world in all its complexity. You can’t pander to them – that’s not interesting. I wanted to be honest. It’s not an educational film; it’s a sketch that evokes certain sensations and feelings. That’s the purpose of cinema, I guess.”
As for Carmen herself, she remains strong.
“I wanted to show a woman, not just an icon. She’s real, even though it’s an animated movie. Her priority isn’t love; it’s freedom. She’s willing to pay the ultimate price for it. That’s very clear in her mind,” he said. But he won’t be bringing back any other famous characters any time soon.
“With Chiara, we are now developing a project about animals. I’m moving into new areas, so we’ll see. But if someone offered me a film about Madame Bovary? I will certainly read it again.”
Whatever the topic, he will stay true to his signature style.
“I don’t know if these drawings are unique, but they are mine. Animation is a good way to show the world without being too realistic. You can focus on sensations instead.”
“I really don’t understand why most animated films are so realistic. When I’m feeling optimistic, I think AI could help us create new types of representation and open new gates. But who knows what the future will bring?”
