The Girl Without Hands

The Girl Without Hands is director Sébastien Laudenbach's feature debut, adapting the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, which he wrote, directed, edited, and animated almost entirely alone, collaborating only with composer Olivier Mellano on the music. The project was abandoned once due to lack of funding before being restarted in 2013; the film is made with a distinctive hand painted technique brought to life with a few quick brushstrokes. The film screened in the ACID (Association du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion) section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. That same year it competed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, winning the Jury Distinction and Best French Film awards. The film was nominated for Best Animated Film at the 2017 César Awards but lost to My Life as a Zucchini. Who it's for: anyone curious about a Grimm fairy tale adaptation a director wrote, drew, and directed almost entirely alone, built from a distinctive hand painted technique. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a traditional, clean lined animation style, since the film deliberately uses a rough, fluid brushstroke technique.