Chicken for Linda! | |
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French | Linda veut du poulet! |
Directed by |
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Written by |
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Produced by |
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Starring |
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Edited by | Catherine Aladenise |
Music by | Clément Ducol |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Gebeka Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 73 minutes |
Countries |
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Language | French |
Box office | $663,593[1] |
Chicken for Linda! (French: Linda veut du poulet!, lit. 'Linda Wants Chicken!') is a 2023 animated film written and directed by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach.[2]
Paulette is a widowed mother who feels guilty after unfairly punishing her daughter Linda for something the girl did not do. She asks Linda what she can do to atone for her mistake, to which Linda replies that she wants a meal of chicken with peppers, representing one of her few remaining memories of her father before his death; thus, Paulette sets out, against the context of a general strike that has virtually shut down the city, to buy a chicken to make the dish even though she does not know how to cook.[3]
The film premiered in the ACID program at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[4] It was subsequently screened at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.[5]
The film was released theatrically in France on 18 October 2023 by Gebeka Films.[6] GKIDS announced plans to distribute the film in North America, and a limited theatrical release will begin April 5, 2024.[7][8] The film was licensed in Japan by Asmik Ace, and it will be released in theaters nationwide beginning April 12, 2024.[9]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10.[10]
Fabien Lemercier of Cineuropa called the film "a very well-composed feature film which gives childhood its proper place as the creator of healthy disorder, because, as per the song at the end of the film, 'paradise is where you live, where you grow up, where you laugh, for all those lucky enough to be called your friends'."[6]
Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that "Malta and Laudenbach have crafted an entertaining, kid-friendly toon whose power lies less in its plot than the surprising insights into human behavior revealed along the way. It's all the more impressive that animation (as opposed to live action) succeeds in capturing the kind of gestures and details that should seem familiar to any child, from the distorted blur of street lights observed from the back seat to a lesson Linda's aunt gives in shelling peas."[2]
For Screen Daily, Wendy Ide wrote that "The film's initial impact will, however, likely come from its distinctive visual style. Laudenbach's character design is minimal, almost abstract at times. But a few cursory lines and a block of colour – each character has their own specific hue – can speak volumes when handled as deftly as they are here. There's a pleasing textured quality to the drawing style; we can see the brushstrokes in Margaux Duseigneur's handsome backdrops, giving a sense of movement, of vitality, even when the characters themselves are static."[5]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Animation Is Film | 2023 | Audience Award | Chicken for Linda! | Won | [11] |
Jury Award | Won | ||||
Annecy International Animation Film Festival | 2023 | Cristal for Best Animated Feature Film | Won | [12] | |
César Awards | 23 February 2024 | Best Animated Film | Won | [13] | |
Cinekid Festival | 2023 | Cinekid Lion | Won | [14] | |
European Film Awards | 9 December 2023 | Best Animated Feature Film | Nominated | [15] | |
Guadalajara International Film Festival | 2023 | International Animation Feature Film | Won | ||
International Cinephile Society | 11 February 2024 | Best Animated Film | Nominated | [16] | |
Lumières Awards | 22 January 2024 | Best Animated Film | Won | [17] | |
Best Music | Clément Ducol | Nominated | [18] |