n a small village, near a giant, old tree, a pregnant woman (Sangweni) sits quietly on the floor of her hut. Suddenly, from her womb comes a voice, demanding, "Mother, bring me into the world!" The woman patiently replies that any child who can make such a demand can bring itself into the world. So the child does, and names himself "Kirikou."
It's obvious that Kirikou (Sebeko) is a very special child. He proves to be as inquisitive as he is forthright, and he quickly learns of the fate of his village: it has fallen under the terrible curse of Karaba the Sorceress (Kellerman), who has dried up the villagers' spring, taken their gold, and "eaten up" nearly all the men who have tried to get rid of her (including Kirikou's father), all with the help of her army of automatonic fetishes.
Kirikou resolves to help his people in any and all ways that he can. And, in spite of the doubts and the wagging tongues and fingers of his fellow villagers, he succeeds again and again in foiling the wicked sorceress' plots by using his head, his courage and his very fleet feet. Eventually, the people of his village come to sing songs of praise to this great, small child.
But Kirikou can't help wondering about the biggest problem of all--"Why is Karaba the Sorceress so mean and evil?" None of the villagers can provide a satisfactory answer ("just because" doesn't cut it), but Kirikou's mother tells him that The Wise Man of the Forbidden Mountain, who is also Kirikou's grandfather, can provide him with the answer he seeks. The only problem is that Karaba's lair lies between the village and the mountain, and she doesn't want anyone knowing her dark secrets.
But Kirikou's got an idea, so with his father's dagger (which is as big as he is) in hand, Kirikou sets out to find his grandfather the Wise Man. And while such a journey could be very dangerous for such a small boy, Kirikou is learning quite well how to make his tiny size into a big asset.
A marvelous tale for every age
Writer/director Michel Ocelot based his animated Kirikou and the Sorceress on a West African folk tale, and not only has he kept the story true to its source, but he has done the same for the look, sound and feel of the film, and wonderfully so. The film is in limited release in the United States (New York and Chicago) and should be available on video in the fall.
While the animation is not necessarily of the quality Disney can afford to produce, it has its own distinct and appealing flavor. Landscapes range from desolate and sparse to intimate and lush, drawn in a rich palatte of colors. All the flora in the film are based on actual plants native to Africa, and the animals that Kirikou encounters are refreshingly un-Disney: they don't speak human language (even to each other) and they act as real animals do (though who knows if the magical ones are portrayed accurately).
Kirikou's terrific soundtrack is supplied by none other than Senegalese musical icon Youssou N'Dour, who employs only traditional African instruments in the film's various songs and themes.
Not only are the characters in Kirikou and the
Sorceress animated with their own vibrant and complex personalities, but the actors who provide the voices (in the English-language version at least) also do an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. One can't help but fall in love with Kirikou and be frightened of Karaba.
And not only are the look and sound of the film complex, rich and appealing, but, as in all good children's stories, so are the movie's many messages. The philosophies of courage (in which being brave isn't having no fear, but still carrying on even when you are afraid); of fear, ignorance and superstition; of the value of human relationships; of the power and necessity of being independent, open-minded and forgiving--are all expressed accessibly and thought-provokingly.
Hopefully audiences in America (and elsewhere) won't get too worked up about the fact that, appropriately enough given that the tale takes place in a traditional West African village, all the women in the film are bare-breasted and all the children are completely naked. It certainly doesn't bother Kirikou, but then again, he can get past just about anything.
