"Dilili in Paris" details the adventures of Dilili and her friend Orel - Photo: Courtesy of IDECAF

Written and directed by Michel Ocelot, with preproduction by Studio O and animation production by Mac Guff, the 95-minute film centers around the adventures in Paris of a Kanak girl named Dilili from New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific.

With her new friend Orel, a delivery boy who knows a lot about famous people such as Marie Curie, Marcel Proust, Louis Pasteur and Toulouse-Lautrec, Dilili investigates the mysterious kidnappings of young girls, which involve a secret society called The Master-Men.

In the course of their investigation, they encounter a series of extraordinary characters, each of whom provides them with clues that will help them in their quest to find the missing girls.

Although there is an unsettling theme in the tale that could prove challenging for very young viewers, Ocelot’s film employs his lovingly crafted trademark style. It features the universal aspiration of good triumphing over evil and presents likeable lead characters.

Ocelot noted that the starting point for the production was his desire to create a work on the topic of male suppression and abuse of women and girls.

The narrative takes place in the Belle Époque, roughly from 1900 to 1909, a period when several historical firsts for women in France were achieved.

Dilili in Paris stars the voices of Prunelle Charles-Ambron, Enzo Ratsito and Natalie Dessay. The film won the César Award for Best Animated Feature at the 44th César Awards in 2019.

Film screenings in both HCMC and Hue will start at 3 p.m. Tickets are priced at VND50,000, with a concession for students at VND40,000 in HCMC and VND10,000 in Hue. SGT