Le Vaillant Petit Soldat

Le Vaillant Petit Soldat (The Valiant Little Soldier) is the first full-length animated feature made in France. Based on the 1934 children's novel of the same name by Yvonne Meynier, it was written and directed by Jean Image. The film tells the story of a young French boy and his toy soldiers during the First World War. Initially intended for release in 1944, its release was delayed due to the war and followed by difficulties with technical development. Produced by France's leading animation studio at the time, Les GEF productions, using stop-motion and cutout animation, it has historically attracted praise for its groundbreaking animation and its message of pacifism.