--- title: "My Life as a Zucchini" year: 2016 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/my-life-as-a-zucchini" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 25 published: "2026-09-17T07:09:29.782250+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T07:09:30.146461+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # My Life as a Zucchini (2016) Directed by Claude Barras · 1h 06m · MPA PG-13 · Animation, Comedy, Drama **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 84 from 25 reviews *In a sentence:* A care home with an emotional wallchart, which the adults watching may also find useful > Claude Barras makes a moving stop-motion film about children finding friends after adults have failed them. It offers comfort too quickly in places, but Céline Sciamma’s writing and the expressive faces keep its warmth honest. ## Synopsis After an accident involving his alcoholic mother, Courgette (voiced by Gaspard Schlatter) is sent to a care home. The shy, newly orphaned boy wants to find friends, but the children around him bring their own experiences of hurt and abandonment. Among them are Simon (voiced by Paulin Jaccoud) and Camille (voiced by Sixtine Murat). The home has an emotional wallchart, giving the children a way to name their moods. Courgette begins getting to know the other residents and working out whom he can trust as they share the everyday business of living together. ## Review Claude Barras’s *My Life as a Zucchini* is a warm, frank film about children in care, with an occasional weakness for offering comfort too quickly. After an accident involving his alcoholic mother, Courgette has to learn how to live among other children carrying hurts of their own. This could be punishing material, especially for an animation that invites a family audience. The director makes room for jokes and ordinary friendship without treating the children’s histories as something embarrassing to hurry past. The result is moving, and mostly earns its hope. The large-headed stop-motion figures, with their enormous eyes, are expressive enough to make long explanations unnecessary. David Toutevoix’s cinematography allows those faces to hold our attention, and the bold colours keep the care home from looking relentlessly bleak. An emotional wallchart is the most telling piece of production design: feelings have an acknowledged place here. We were moved by that small detail. Giving a child’s mood space on a wall makes the home’s kindness feel practical, something that can be repeated tomorrow. Céline Sciamma’s screenplay is alert to how children can be blunt about things adults struggle to name. Its humour is welcome because the children are allowed interests beyond being unhappy, and because their friendships involve more than mutual sympathy. Gaspard Schlatter gives Courgette a tentative voice without making him helpless. Paulin Jaccoud as Simon and Sixtine Murat as Camille help give the group distinct personalities. The voice performances have enough awkwardness to keep the dialogue from sounding like adults demonstrating how sensitively they can write children. At 66 minutes, the film has little room for repetition, and Valentin Rotelli’s editing makes its episodes feel connected without forcing every encounter into a large dramatic event. There is a useful stillness to the way it moves between the children and their daily lives. Sophie Hunger’s music helps the warmer scenes, though we occasionally wished it would leave the faces to do the work. The quieter passages work particularly well because Claude Barras trusts a modest exchange to hold our attention. What does not quite work is the speed with which reassurance sometimes follows distress. The children’s pasts are severe enough that the brighter present can feel a little too carefully protected, as though another disappointment would be beyond what the film could bear. A few relationships would benefit from more time before we are asked to believe in their security. Brevity is usually a virtue here, but there are moments when another ordinary day together would have done more than another nudge towards feeling better. That reservation matters, but it does not undo the care taken with the children. Within family animation, this is an unusually direct treatment of abandonment, and its humour never depends on making vulnerability ridiculous. The adults’ failures remain serious even when the children find something to laugh about, which is why the warmth seldom feels dishonest. We would share it with children, provided there is time afterwards for questions about the hurt that brought these characters into care. *Fi1m score 84, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are uniformly positive, with praise centring on the expressive stop-motion characters and the sensitivity of Céline Sciamma’s screenplay. Most critics find that the film treats childhood trauma frankly without reducing the children to their suffering, giving friendship, humour and small daily pleasures proper attention. The large-eyed figures earn particular admiration for conveying complicated feelings, while the writing is repeatedly credited with finding hope without pity or easy sentimentality. The spread is chiefly one of enthusiasm, though there is a distinct disagreement about tone. The AV Club finds the contrast between grim backstories and insistently cheerful storytelling uneasy, admiring the bold visual design but judging the narrative lightweight and overly reassuring. Most critics regard that balance as a strength rather than a problem; Empire’s reservation is instead that the film’s 66 minutes end too soon, a measure of how few substantial objections recur across the reviews. ### Reviews we read (25) - **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (3/5/5): The critic hails it as a superlative family film that dares to engage with uncomfortable realities, singling out the stop-motion animation and screenplay for their magic and sensitivity. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/my-life-as-a-courgette) - **The i Paper**, Matthew Turner (★★★★★): The critic calls the stop-motion animation an utter delight that deals with complex subjects from a child's perspective in a sensitive way, with brilliant writing, beautiful animation, and the power to provoke laughter and tears. It is described as one of the best films of the year. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/my-life-as-a-courgette-review-68588) - **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a modest marvel that balances the difficulties and sweetness of childhood with sardonic humor and sensitivity. They single out its unsparing honesty about the kids’ plight alongside unabashed optimism about their courage and resilience. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-life-zucchini/) - **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews (90/100, inferred): This Swiss/French stop-motion feature about a boy nicknamed Courgette in an orphanage is a little masterpiece full of charm, vitality and perfect scripting by Céline Sciamma. The large-headed Plasticine figures and sensitive handling of pre-puberty themes burst with expression and life. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/1c219d20-46b7-11e7-8d27-59b4dd6296b8) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): This is a lovely little stop-motion animation about an orphaned boy and his friends in a care home, full of gentleness and traditional Frenchness. The expressive character designs and emotional wallchart stand out as highlights in this beguiling 66-minute film. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/02/my-life-as-a-courgette-review-stop-motion-animation) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★☆): This Oscar-nominated Swiss-French animation about a boy sent to an orphanage after a tragic accident with his alcoholic mother is a perfect, indelible portrait of childhood hardship and resilience. The huge-eyed Plasticine figures and sensitive adaptation by Céline Sciamma are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/film-review-my-life-as-a-courgette-b9kls3962) - **Slant Magazine**, Christopher Gray (3.5/4): The film conveys trauma with understatement and never feels oblique, using restraint and tenderness in its episodic story of orphans processing abandonment. It circumvents bleakness through commitment to understanding and intimacy, indebted to Peanuts with modest whimsy and charming moments. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/my-life-as-a-zucchini/) - **IndieWire**, Jude Dry (85/100, inferred): The Swiss Oscar contender is an animated Short Term 12 that keeps it real by showing kids’ movies don’t have to coddle young viewers with its charming yet unflinching look at damaged orphans finding family. It proves high-end animation can handle heavy themes with heart and authenticity. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/my-life-as-a-zucchini-review-best-animated-feature-1201786230/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): The film is described as unexpectedly enchanting and bittersweet, offering satisfying movie magic through its stop-motion technique. It is singled out for its resilience, community spirit, and avoidance of sentimentality in depicting the orphans' lives. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-my-life-zucchini-review-20170223-story.html) - **Vulture** (85/100, inferred): The stop-motion film uses animation ingeniously to handle tragic child stories, bridging darker elements to illuminate small moments of joy and tenderness in an intimate, economic coming-of-age tale. It is a deft work of empathy on a modest scale that puts viewers in different shoes without a big thesis. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2017/02/my-life-as-a-zucchini-movie-review-intimate-and-sensitive.html) - **Empire**, David Parkinson (80/100, inferred): The critic praises this stop-motion animation as a charming and thought-provoking gem that refuses to sentimentalise the children's backstories, making their bonds plausible and poignant, with expressive characters and joyful details. The only downside noted is its short 66-minute runtime. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/life-courgette-review/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Boyd van Hoeij (80/100, inferred): The stop-motion feature debut lovingly renders a shy orphan's move to a foster home and his connections with other traumatized children, adapted sensitively by Céline Sciamma. It balances offscreen darkness with expressive animation and emotional intimacy that works as a miracle of plasticine storytelling. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/my-life-as-a-courgette-891734/) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the stop-motion film charming and gentle in its exploration of harsh circumstances among orphans. It is singled out for its whimsical yet empathetic portrayal of friendship, healing, and everyday details in the children's lives. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/movies/my-life-as-a-zucchini-review.html) - **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): The critic commends the powerful, heartbreaking stop-motion drama and its rare stillness, singling out the screenplay by Céline Sciamma for its aching empathy without pity. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/my-life-as-a-courgette) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (75/100, inferred): The review praises the stop-motion film's simple storytelling and ability to balance melancholy with levity from a child's perspective. It is singled out for its realistic emotional depth and commitment to feeling real while remaining appealing. [Read](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/my-life-as-a-courgette-review-1201766688/) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): The critic calls it a compact triumph of stop-motion animation in a bittersweet tale of an orphan, singling out the tone that blends good and bad news with kindness and the visual highlights. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/my-life-as-a-courgette-cannes-review/5103627.article) - **Sight and Sound**, Hannah McGill (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's realistic portrayal of damaged children in care and its deft balancing of sadness with hope through stop-motion animation and a script by Céline Sciamma. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-my-life-courgette-joyful-cartoon-about-damaged-children) - **The AV Club**, Mike D'Angelo (B-): The film is a bizarre tonal mix of grim backstories and relentlessly upbeat present-tense storytelling that never quite evens out, feeling both unusually grim and saccharine at once. It is a pleasure to look at with bold stop-motion design, but the lightweight narrative and manic reassurance after horror feel mismatched. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-oscar-nominated-my-life-as-a-zucchini-is-sweet-whe-1798190465) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a wondrous, character-driven animated delight deserving of its many honors. He singles out its unique stop-motion animation and sophisticated handling of themes like family, adoption, and emerging from darkness. [Read](https://deadline.com/2017/02/my-life-as-a-zucchini-review-gkids-1201970539/) - **Paste**, Dom Sinacola (7.3): The film is an unbelievably empathetic stop-motion story that refuses to let the adult world's corruption stain its lively, optimistic hues despite bleak subject matter. It singles out the beautifully small moments and sincere voice work from child actors that convey innocence and warmth. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/my-life-as-a-zucchini/my-life-as-a-zucchini) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (85/100, inferred): The critic highlights the moving and uplifting stop-motion film that packs emotion and truth into its short runtime. They single out the heartfelt script and expressive animation that captures mixed emotions in the characters. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/my-life-as-a-courgette-2016-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) - **The Playlist**, Jordan Ruimy (B+): The critic calls it a simple beauty and keeper that cuts to the heart non-manipulatively. They single out the sumptuous visuals, graphic design, and emotional resonance with non-saccharine uplift. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/cannes-review-claude-barras-animated-drama-life-courgette-simple-beauty-20160523/) - **Consequence** (80/100, inferred): The film is an affecting stop-motion portrait focused on the struggle to find hope after tragedy rather than lingering on the past. It singles out the remarkable depth of empathy and expressive, colorful animation that captures the wide-eyed wonder of the children. [Read](https://consequence.net/2017/02/film-review-my-life-as-a-zucchini/) - **HeyUGuys**, Jo-Ann Titmarsh (4/5): The critic praises the film's tender handling of difficult subject matter with humor and emotional depth in stop-motion animation. They single out the expressive eyes and the way it makes taboo topics palatable for audiences. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/my-life-as-a-courgette-review/) - **The Skinny**, Joseph Walsh (★★★★): The critic describes it as a remarkable, emotionally nuanced tale that tugs at the heartstrings with frankness about difficult themes like domestic violence alongside a defiant message of hope. They praise the skill of the director and screenwriter in delivering this tender stop-motion story. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/my-life-as-a-courgette) ## Details - **Director:** Claude Barras - **Director:** Claude Barras - **Screenplay:** Céline Sciamma - **Novel:** Gilles Paris - **Cinematography:** David Toutevoix - **Editor:** Valentin Rotelli - **Music:** Sophie Hunger - **Costume design:** Vanessa Riera, Christel Grandchamp - **Producer:** Kateryna Merkt, Marc Bonny, Max Karli - **Cast:** Gaspard Schlatter as Courgette (voice); Sixtine Murat as Camille (voice); Paulin Jaccoud as Simon (voice); Michel Vuillermoz as Raymond (voice); Raul Ribera as Ahmed (voice); Estelle Hennard as Alice (voice); Elliot Sanchez as Jujube (voice); Lou Wick as Béatrice (voice) - **Runtime:** 1h 06m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 24 February 2017 - **Genres:** Animation, Comedy, Drama - **Budget:** $8 million - **Box office:** $6 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDI14VnLNRM ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, IE, IT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2017: Best Animated Feature (nominated) - European Film Academy Young Audience Award 2017: European Film Academy Young Audience Award (nominated) - International Submission to the Academy Awards 2017: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated) - Lumière Award for Best Animated Film 2017: Lumière Award for Best Animated Film (won) - Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film 2016: Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film (won) - European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film 2016: European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film (won) - Lux Prize 2016: Lux Prize (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Kid* (1921), Fi1m 84: A silent comedy about precarious childhood that never pretends poverty is merely picturesque. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-kid.md) - *Ernest & Celestine* (2012), Fi1m 84: A gentler animated friendship between outsiders, with warmth that survives a little misbehaviour. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine.md) - *Nobody Knows* (2004): Children negotiate adult neglect in a far harsher film; approach with care. - *The Spirit of the Beehive* (1973), Fi1m 87: Another film that takes a child’s private fears seriously, without explaining them away. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive.md) - *Petite Maman* (2021): A child meets grief with curiosity in this quiet, gently surprising family story. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/my-life-as-a-zucchini