Raining Cats and Frogs /
La Prophétie des Grenouilles (G)

by Jacques-Rémy Girerd

La Prophétie des Grenouilles / Raining Cats and Frogs is a delightful tale for all audiences. Directed by Jacques Rémy Girerd, the film is the first totally French produced animated feature since Le Roi et L'oiseau (The King and Mr. Bird) in 1980.

Tom, and his adoptive parents, Ferdinand and Juliette, are spending the summer holidays with Lili - a girl of Tom's age. Lili's parents run a family zoo (a kind of small amusement park which can be found along French country roads) and have gone to Africa in search of crocodiles! Ferdinand and Juliette have offered to look after the kids and the zoo. Everything is going really well until the day some frogs warn the children that there's going to be a flood! When thunderclaps are hurt, the resourceful Ferdinand decides to shelter the household in a barn, which he's able to transform into an ark so as to accommodate the animals from the zoo as well.

La Prophétie des Grenouilles is an exploration of the co-existence of humans and animals, herbivores and carnivores alike. It was co-scripted by Antoine Lanciaux, Iouri Tcherenkov and Girerd. The anthropomorphic behavior of the animals offers considerable comic potential: a couple of elephants, immobilised by the lack of space, carry on like a pair of cranky elderly pensioners, whilst other animals philosophize and embark on endless discussions as only the French can do.
To give voice to his characters, Girerd has called upon some major names including as Annie Girardot, Michel Galabru, Anouk Grimberg and Michel Piccoli.

With its clear allusions to the problems of global warming and its cheerful animal saga, La Prophétie des Grenouilles is steeped in humanistic values and carries a beautiful and important message - and joyously became a surprise box office champion at the French box office in late 2003. A true delight!

France - 2003 - Animation - 90 mn.- French with English subtitles
Director: Jacques-Rémy Girerd
Script: Jacques-Rémy Girerd, Antoine lanciaux, Ioury Tcherenkov
With (Voices): Michel Piccoli, Anouk Grinberg, Annie Girardot, Michel Galabru