Animated films over the past 100 years have almost always catered towards a younger demographic, but Sébastien Laudenbach looks to change that view, albeit quite different from that of Sausage Party. Laudenbach’s The Girl Without Hands first released in 2016 to French audiences and a variety of awards, but has never reached North American shores until now, with GKIDS picking up the distribution rights on the film.
The Girl Without Hands was directed, written, and animated solely by Laudenbach, and follows the story of the Grimm Brothers tale of the same name. The film follows a young girl who is sold to the devil by her father. After making her escape, the devil takes her hands away, with the film following the girl’s journey as the devil continues to torment her.
The film is animated in a much more minimalistic style in the vein of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, with much of the animation featuring large brush strokes and few colors. It is no small feat to complete a feature film by oneself, especially fully animated. The film received two release dates in New York City at IFC Center on July 21st and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Music Hall on August 4th.