{"id":423,"date":"2026-05-21T16:06:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=423"},"modified":"2026-05-21T16:06:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:06:36","slug":"chicken-for-linda-co-director-sebastien-laudenbach-takes-on-iconic-character-in-viva-carmen-and-readies-to-work-with-singer-silvia-perez-cruz-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=423","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Chicken for Linda!\u2019 Co-Director S\u00e9bastien Laudenbach Takes on Iconic Character in \u2018Viva Carmen\u2019 \u2013 And Readies to Work with Singer Silvia P\u00e9rez Cruz (EXCLUSIVE)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tS\u00e9bastien Laudenbach isn\u2019t afraid to take on Bizet\u2019s iconic \u201cCarmen\u201d in his latest animation, \u201cViva Carmen,\u201d and make it more child-friendly.<\/p>\n

Read more Tokyo Broadcasting System Expands U.S. Operations, Hires Elwin de Groot as Senior Unscripted Development Exec<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s not a film \u2018adapted\u2019 for kids, but it\u2019s accessible to them,\u201d he told\u00a0Variety.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\tSet in Seville in 1845, it follows teenage Salva who works as an assistant to Antonio, a knife grinder who can also see the future. After an encounter with a soldier, Jos\u00e9, Antonio makes a horrific prediction. Salva, accompanied by a group of street kids led by Bel\u00e9n, decides to change the prophecy \u2013 and save Carmen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cDisney wouldn\u2019t make something like \u2018The Hunchback of Notre Dame\u2019 today. Times have changed. But this is a film for everyone. It\u2019s very important to speak to kids in a certain way, we did that also in \u2018Chicken for Linda!\u2019 [co-directed with Chiara Malta]. As filmmakers, it is our responsibility to communicate with a young audience: they are the audience of tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe music was created by Amine Bouhafa and Isabelle Laudenbach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe started working on the music the moment we wrote the script. If you know the opera, it all becomes like a game. You recognize so many familiar patterns,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThis music is so rich, but I asked them to make it a little different. Isabelle used traditional Spanish instruments and drums; then there\u2019s Salva\u2019s flute, which is played in Andaluc\u00eda. We also worked with an all-female flamenco band from Barcelona.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCam\u00e9lia Jordana voices the character in the French-language version. \u201cMaybe she\u2019s the Carmen of today? She\u2019s her own producer, a singer, a composer and an actress. She wants to be free, too,\u201d he said. Laudenbach is now also overseeing the Spanish version as well.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs\u00a0Variety<\/em>\u00a0found our exclusively, singer Silvia P\u00e9rez Cruz will be the next Carmen.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cTomorrow, Isabelle will work with Silvia on recording Carmen\u2019s voice in Barcelona. I\u2019m quite sad not to be there with them. It will be a great moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cViva Carmen\u201d is a Folivari production in association with Haut et Court Distribution and Global Constellation.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Jackass\u2019 TV Show Returns to Paramount+ With \u2018Restored Original\u2019 Episodes<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s a strange project,\u201d laughed Laudenbach.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s \u2018Carmen,\u2019 but it\u2019s not \u2018Carmen.\u2019 I have a friend who knows everything about this opera and he pointed out there\u2019s actually a song sung by children. Later on, they\u2019re not that important \u2013 it\u2019s all about Carmen and Jos\u00e9. He wanted to see Carmen\u2019s story from the perspective of children.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThat\u2019s exactly what Laudenbach does in the film, in which the kids are trying \u2013 and mostly failing \u2013 to understand the adult world. Love, obsession, desire.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI was looking for the truth in the relationships between all the characters, especially the children. When you have kids in your story, it has to ring true. They are orphans and thieves; they have to fight against life. But I like the scenes when they are hiding in a cave and just being kids, asking for a kiss or for a story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe added: \u201cChildren want to understand the world in all its complexity. You can\u2019t pander to them \u2013 that\u2019s not interesting. I wanted to be honest. It\u2019s not an educational film; it\u2019s a sketch that evokes certain sensations and feelings. That\u2019s the purpose of cinema, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAs for Carmen herself, she remains strong.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI wanted to show a woman, not just an icon. She\u2019s real, even though it\u2019s an animated movie. Her priority isn\u2019t love; it\u2019s freedom. She\u2019s willing to pay the ultimate price for it. That\u2019s very clear in her mind,\u201d he said. But he won\u2019t be bringing back any other famous characters any time soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWith Chiara, we are now developing a project about animals. I\u2019m moving into new areas, so we\u2019ll see. But if someone offered me a film about Madame Bovary? I will certainly read it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhatever the topic, he will stay true to his signature style.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI don\u2019t know if these drawings are unique, but they are mine. Animation is a good way to show the world without being too realistic. You can focus on sensations instead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI really don\u2019t understand why most animated films are so realistic. When I\u2019m feeling optimistic, I think AI could help us create new types of representation and open new gates. But who knows what the future will bring?\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Murdered Babies, Axes Buried in Heads and a Monstrous Maika Monroe: \u2018Victorian Psycho\u2019 Shocks Cannes Into 5-Minute Ovation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018Chicken for Linda!\u2019 co-director S\u00e9bastien Laudenbach talks new Cannes animation ‘Viva Carmen’ and working with Cam\u00e9lia Jordana and Silvia P\u00e9rez Cruz<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[335,3,451,452,453],"class_list":["post-423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-animation","tag-cannes-film-festival","tag-chicken-for-linda","tag-sebastian-laudenbach","tag-viva-carmen"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Chicken for Linda!\u2019 Co-Director S\u00e9bastien Laudenbach Takes on Iconic Character in \u2018Viva Carmen\u2019 \u2013 And Readies to Work with Singer Silvia P\u00e9rez Cruz (EXCLUSIVE) - Relocation Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=423\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Chicken for Linda!\u2019 Co-Director S\u00e9bastien Laudenbach Takes on Iconic Character in \u2018Viva Carmen\u2019 \u2013 And Readies to Work with Singer Silvia P\u00e9rez Cruz (EXCLUSIVE) - 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