Paris-based distributor Urban has joined Children of Liberty, a long-standing New York set animation adventure from an Oscar-nominated producer for “Ernest & Celestine.”
The Children of Liberty, adapted from Robert H. Liberman’s novel “The Nazis, My Father, Me and Me,” is produced by Didier and Damian Brunner through their banner Folivari. This feature is overseen by Remy Sharpmann and Leans Vivierchapas.
Born from the Bronx to Holocaust survivor parents, Lieberman co-written the script adaptation. His novels won praise at the time of its release, including The New York Times, who praised the novelist for “a keen eye for inconsistency and humor that comes with hopeless events.”
It took place in New York in 1941 – just weeks before the US finally enters World War II – the story follows 12-year-old Stephen, who gets lost in the chaos at Grand Central Station in Manhattan, suspecting his father could be a Nazi spy. With the help of 14-year-old Jewish refugee Miriam, Stephen embarks on a bold quest across the city’s labyrinth streets. As war intensifies in Europe, the two children navigate the dangers and secrets that challenge the understanding of family and friendship, recreating their childhood forever.
Folivari CEO Damien Brunner said “The ‘child of freedom’ addresses friendship, heritage, memories, and pasts that are too heavy to bear.
“As a producer, the film resonates with our own family history, with fractures and secrets that arise in silence, Bruner said.
Didier Brunner is one of France’s most famous animation figures. He has multiple Oscar-nominated features under his belt, from “The Old Lady and the Dove” to “The Triplet of Bellville,” “The Secret of Kells,” and “Ernest and Celestine.”
Scheduled for delivery in the fall of 2026, Children of Liberty attracted strong animation track record, Luxembourgian studios Melusine (“Richard the Stork”) and co-producers of Tchack (“Mars Express”). Distribution in France is handled by KMBO.
“Follivari has an unparalleled talent for developing animated family content that combines adventure, original animation techniques and unique storytelling,” said Frederic Corbes, CEO of Urban.
Corbes said that “children of children” is “a perfect example of this legacy. It is also a way of speaking with children’s intelligence, a way to deal with World War II in New York and, unfortunately, tackle historical issues that tend to reappear in modern American debates.”
Urban’s Slate also includes “Space Cadet,” a CGI animation feature that will be performing in North American in Toronto. Also, “How will we light up the night if we don’t burn?” in San Sebastian, alongside the French rom-com “The Doll,” are Vincent Macaigne and Cécile De France.
