The "Belle" of Hosoda demonizes the Web

What if the Internet and social networks were good for teens?

defends this point of view.

by Mamoru Hosoda, discovered in a special screening at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. A shy high school student turns into a rock star on the Web until an aggressive dragon comes to sow terror in this virtual world.

A mysterious and cruel being whose true identity is secret but who is fixated on the heroine.

"I was freely inspired by the story of

," Hosoda-san tells

.

My goal was to show that all is not negative on the Internet where young people can let their creativity run free and stay in touch.

We must not demonize the Web.

»The director of the

(2012), of the

(2016)

and

(2018), thought of her own daughter when writing this incredibly rich film.

"She is still small but I realized that she was very shy at school and very determined at home which fed the split personality of my heroine," he says.

A resolutely modern tale

Never had the filmmaker, however very gifted, been so inspired as for this tale that he wanted to be resolutely modern. “This is my most complex film to date,” says Mamaro Hosoda. Creating a virtual world that I wanted to be rich in original details so as to totally disorient the public took a lot of time and energy. If we still sometimes think of Hayao Miyazaki or Satoshi Kon in front of his work, the director has gained maturity and personality. The intelligence of his writing and the richness of his script confirm that he is one of the greatest current Japanese animators.

“Basically, teenagers are already having a difficult time in their lives,” Hosoda-san insists.

And this is even more noticeable in Japan since the pandemic, where they are stranded at home, which can foster toxic family situations.

"

 is so sublime that visually drenched hope for the human race, represented by young people together.

"It's my most personal film," insists the director.

The production gave me great freedom both in terms of the message and the creation of universes.

Maybe it's because Mamoru Hosoda put so much of himself into it that

is such a wonder.

Its adaptation into a novel by the filmmaker himself will be released, edited in French, by Pika on January 5.

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• Cannes film festival

• Movie theater

• Caro's choice

• Anime

• 20 minutes video

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