story
Living Large is an adaptation of a short novel by French author Mikaël Ollivier. It is one of Ollivier’s most significant works, having won numerous literary prizes, including the Prix des Incorruptibles, awarded annually by French children. An amusing look at problems associated with teenage years, it tells the story of children at the beginning of adolescence with humour and light irony. The book also deals with serious issues such as obesity and depression, but always with empathy and liberating humour. The story is also focused on the bonds between children and their parents and celebrates true friendship and its values when overcoming growing pains.
director's statement
»Using the puppets for telling this story actually made sense from the beginning – animation just made it easier to tell the story more from the inside, with exaggeration, humour and lightness. It also made it easier to portray feelings and internal states. I chose to combine stop-motion with 2D animation not only for the visual variety, but because I wanted to show Ben’s inner world differently from what he is experiencing in real life. For that, combining two visual worlds felt the right thing to do. Finding the right appearance for Ben was quite difficult. Designing his body to be attractive while also obese wasn’t an easy task, as I wanted to stay true to the fact that he actually feels fine with himself, the way he is, and it’s just people around him that put so much pressure on him.«