Overview
- The film debuted on the Cannes festival circuit in May 2026 and is currently screening at festivals while producers pursue U.S. distribution.
- Director Sébastien Laudenbach says he framed Carmen’s story through the eyes of children to make it accessible to younger viewers without simplifying the material.
- Laudenbach’s signature sketch-like, expressionistic animation gives the film a deliberately unfinished, sensory look that critics singled out as its strongest element.
- The score was composed by Amine Bouhafa and Isabelle Laudenbach and features traditional Spanish instruments, a Andalucían-style flute and an all-female flamenco band from Barcelona.
- The production is recording multilingual versions now, with Camélia Jordana voicing the French Carmen and Variety reporting that singer Silvia Pérez Cruz will record the Spanish version, while early reviews praise the visuals but differ on how well the film balances child accessibility with the opera’s darker themes.