The Rain Children

There are two cities and they are enemies. Pyross is the city of fire; water is dangerous there and rain is counted deadly. Hydross is the city of water. The two have fought for years and nobody can quite say why. Once a year the rains come and the people of Pyross must hide. Kalac is a young fighter. On a mission he meets a girl from the other side. Touching her is forbidden; contact is dangerous for both. The two talk and start asking what the war rests on. Philippe Leclerc directs. Pascale Chemin, Marjolaine Poulain and Mélody Dubos are among the voices. It is a French production and animated. The source is Serge Brussolo's novel. The matter it treats is enmity inherited; both cities have forgotten the cause of the war and keep only the rule. The visual design is hand drawn; the palette is set separately for the two cities and the opposition is shown directly. The narrative keeps its fantastic ground simple and does not elaborate the world. The film is aimed at young viewers but the subject is heavy; death and loss are inside it. The narrative puts the relation between the two characters at its centre and does not hide that it will bring no resolution. Few animated features were being made in France at the time and this is one of them. Its limit is structure; the narrative is short, the characters thin, and the ending rushed. Who it is for: viewers who like French animation and fantastic narrative for young people. Who it is not for: it is simple, short, and the ending sad.