‘Ernest and Celestine’ Sequel Highlights the Visual Glory of French 2D

variety.com:

Lise Pedersen A cheering crowd at France’s Annecy Festival got a sneak peek at the hugely anticipated sequel to French family hit “Ernest and Célestine” on Thursday.It was not disappointed-“Ernest and Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” is slated for release in France in December, nearly a decade after the multi-prized original, which scored an Academy Award nomination alongside 2014 winner “Frozen.”The 22-minute long preview screening in Annecy was followed by a short concert by the film’s composer, Vincent Courtois, playing the cello, and one of his band members on the clarinet.“The story revolves a lot around music,” co-director Julien Chheng (“The King and the Beaver”, “Ernest and Célestine, The Collection”) told Variety. “While making the film, we would wait for his demo to animate our characters.

We wanted to be true to the Ernest and Celestine style which is very subtle: We didn’t want to use music to enhance emotions but rather allow the characters and the scenes to convey the emotion.” The film turns on Ernest and Célestine who travel back to Ernest’s country, Gibberitia, to fix his broken violin.

This exotic land used to be home to the best musicians on earth, but upon arrival, they discover that all forms of music have been banned there.Along with their friends and a mysterious masked outlaw, Ernest and Célestine try their best to bring music and happiness back to the land of bears.Speaking to Variety, co-director Jean-Christophe Roger (“Ernest and Célestine, The Collection”, “Lassie”) said the film is meant to convey a message on the fight for freedom, as Ernest is forced to face his overbearing father, who banned music in Gibberitia after Ernest refused to follow the family tradition and become a judge,.