A nominee for Best Animated Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards, the film opens with Amélie, a young Belgian girl living in Japan in the late 1960s. She isn't exactly enamoured with the world so far... that is, until her grandmother rouses in Amélie a lust for life's pleasures through the exquisite delight of white chocolate. Emerging from a vegetative state, Amélie forms a close bond with her family's housekeeper, Nishio-san, who provides Amélie with an intergenerational, multicultural appreciation of existing in the moment. However, Amélie quickly learns that life is not without its tribulations - her brother is nothing but a menace, and her family's landlady detests her Western tenants due to allied bombings during the war.
Based on Amélie Nothomb's autobiographical novel, every frame captures the wonder and tranquility of a child's inner awe and the overwhelming turmoil when our confounding world becomes too much for a mere two-and-a-half-year-old. In this tender coming-of-age animation, Amélie learns that while there may be pain in our past, there is joy in remembering and making new memories.
Little Amélie's big emotions are sure to resonate with the young and young at heart in this whimsical tale about the fleeting innocence of childhood.
- Madison Marshall
Local tip
He tīwhiri mō te rohe
Make a night of it in the Aotea Arts Quarter. Aotea Square, Auckland Town Hall, Q Theatre and plenty of nearby dining options are all within a short walk of The Civic.
Getting there
Te huarahi ki reira
The Civic is on the corner of Queen and Wellesley Streets in the city centre. Te Waihorotiu Station is right nearby, making the train an easy option, while frequent bus services stop along Queen and Wellesley Streets. If driving, The Civic Car Park beneath Aotea Square is the closest parking option. For more transport information, check out our Getting Around page.
More info
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