#claude barras

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

Have you seen My Life as a Zucchini (2016)?

Yes

No

Haven’t even heard of this movie

Voting ended onAug 15, 2025

[zeynepscinemaclub]

My Life as a Zucchini inspired stickers for March’26 Cinema Sticker Club rewards

★ ig | shop | patreon | youtube | letterboxd ★

[rrrauschen]

Cédric Louis & Claude Barras, {2009} Land of the Heads

[cinematicmasterpiece]

ma vie de courgette (2016)

[onenakedfarmer]

Watching

MA VIE DE COURGETTE [MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI] Claude Barras France, 2016

[minch-makes-stills]

My life as a Zucchini (2016) dir. Claude Barras

[filmesiwatched]

83. Ma vie de courgette [My Life as a Zucchini] (2016) dir. Claude Barras

[adamwatchesmovies]

My Life as a Zucchini (2016)

My Life as a Zucchini was nominated for an Oscar in 2016's “Best Animated Film” category but ever since Shark Tale, that Award's reputation has been dodgy. Does this picture stand toe-to-toe with Zootopia and Moana, or was it a scramble to find 5 nominees?

Orphaned after his perpetually drunk mother falls down the stairs, Icare “Zucchini” (voiced by Erick Abbate in the English Dub, by Gaspard Schlatter in the Original French) is sent to an orphanage. There, he experiences the same joys and sorrows all children do while waiting for a family to adopt him.

What you’ll notice about this French/Swiss production from the first frame are its visuals. Even in a year that featured wonderful CGI Imagery, traditional animation courtesy of Wild Bunch/Studio Ghibli, and another great picture by Laika, My Life as a Zucchini stands out. The colors, character designs, and overall style are so perfectly suited to the story anyone suggesting anything else would seem like pure idiocy. With their exaggerated proportions and color-coded features, the characters evoke children’s drawings - the ones you used to do when you couldn’t count so everyone got about a dozen fingers on each hand - polished and brought to life. Instantly, you're transported to a time of innocence and simple joys, but there’s more to this film than basic emotions.

The silly-sounding title may lead you to believe that this is a picture for little kids, but you'd be wrong. Inside the adorable children living at the orphanage are feelings that would be difficult to handle even for adults. I wouldn’t recommend it for those under the age of 10, but for everyone else, wow. It’s both hilarious and heartbreaking that Zucchini has an empty beer can and a drawing of a superhero as mementos representing his dead mother and long-absent father. Without ever being sappy, forced, or cloying, the film turns towards you and opens its arms. All you can do is open yours in return and give it a big, warm hug. You’ll laugh at the children’s silly games, the way they ask each other about life’s big questions, and their wild logic-defying antics… until you start to think about them. At that point, you might be brought to tears.

It’s ultimately pointless to try and avoid falling in love with the characters of My Life as a Zucchini. I don’t know if I would’ve selected it as my pick for the best animated film of 2016, but it certainly would've been a contender. This is an excellent film, so bold in its visuals and so rich in heart. I had to jump through all sorts of hoops to see it and they were all worth it. When you check it out, stick around for the end credits. There’s a scene at the very end that gives us some insight into the process that brought this story to life. (Original French version on the big screen, October 7, 2017)