Calamity

Calamity
France, Denmark | 2020 | 82’ | Colour | French | Chinese and English subtitles | Group: B
Director: Rémi Chayé

It may feel strange to watch an origins adventure of the ultimate Frontier cowgirl Calamity Jane in the French language, but after the initial shock, you can’t help but fall in love with Remy Chayé’s hand-drawn animated film Calamity which will, no doubt, be comfortably dubbed into any local language when it hits cinemas. In a gorgeous rustic palette of greens, browns and yellows, Chayé captures the wonder of the vast great outdoors that greeted the frontiersfolk heading west in the 19th Century, but in the tale of his spirited 12 year-old lead character, he also tells a story of female empowerment that will thrill young female viewers everywhere. A rollicking ride that never wanes in its running time, Calamity possesses a simplicity in its animation and storytelling that stands out in the often charmless digital world. A real pleasure for all the family.

MIKE GOODRIDGE

1863, United States of America. 12-year-old Martha Jane and her family are headed West in large covered wagon train in search of a better life. After Martha Jane’s father is hurt in a serious accident, she takes charge of her siblings and learns to drive the family wagon. She has never felt so free. Utterly practical and bold, Martha Jane dresses as a boy and becomes increasingly troublesome for the community due to her outspoken braveness. When the leader of the convoy wrongly accuses her of theft, she runs away to find proof of her innocence… In the Wild, she discovers herself and a world which shapes her and confirms her unique personality… revealing the birth of the mythical Calamity Jane.

After training in academic drawing, Rémi Chayé worked for a few years as an illustrator and discovered cartoons by chance. He trained as a storyboarder and layout-man, and, in 2003, he joined the School of Animated Film at La Poudrière, France, where he directed three short films. Afterwards, he worked as a storyboarder and assistant director – or both – on films including The Secret of Kells (2009) and The Painting (2011). He made his first feature as a director Long Way North in 2016. Calamity is his second feature and won the Cristal Award for best feature film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June this year.