Drawing from the past

"It's not just about racial identity. I want to explore the diversity of culture. In some senses, I am like a child with a sweet tooth, who wants to taste candy from every corner of the world," the animator says.

The animation also features a two-dimensional hand-drawn style, set against the photorealistic backdrops of landmark attractions in Paris, from the Moulin Rouge to Le Bateau-Lavoir.

Ocelot reveals that all the backdrops were digitally transformed from photographs of the iconic buildings, as he believed there was no need to redraw the breathtaking Parisian landscapes already familiar to audiences around the world.

But behind the picturesque scenery, the ugly truths uncovered by the duo are as dark as they are terrible.

Under the control of an insane misogynist, the kidnappers abduct young girls from the streets of Paris and train them to become so-called "crawling people", who are forced to walk on all fours and serve as "benches" for men to sit on and rest.