Kirikou and the Sorceress

This production provides an introduction to African art, music, culture, and the structure of tribal communities.

Kirikou, despite his age (barely a toddler) and size is a true hero in the purest sense. He models loyalty, bravery, wisdom, compassion, and honesty. The sorceress appears to be evil solely for the sake of power and evil itself. But when the source of her wickedness is uncovered and she is relieved of it, she, too, becomes a good person. Even her henchmen (called fetishes and animated as robots) are "delivered from evil" by the heroic Kirikou.

There is non-sexualized nudity in this highly-stylized animated film. The female characters, drawn simply and without great definition, are seen naked from the waist up throughout. Their breasts come in all shapes and sizes. Children are naked; a male toddler's genitals (again simply and without definition) are seen as a natural part of his body. Opening sequence depicts the outline of a mother ready to give birth. The baby, ready to be born, speaks to her from inside her body, then is seen crawling out from beneath her skirt, delivering himself.