Anyone who’s seen My Life As A Courgette knows to expect gorgeous animation from a Claude Barras film, but his latest project takes it to a whole new level. Set in the tropical Borneo rainforest, Savages is full of vibrant colours and painstaking detail brought to life by stop-motion animation. The film follows Kéria (Babette De Coster), an indigenous Penan girl without much interest in her heritage who lives on the local plantation. As tensions ramp up between local logging companies and the Penan, Kéria’s cousin Selaï (Martin Verset) is sent from his home in the rainforest to live with her. Selaï’s initially unwelcome presence alongside the adoption of a very adorable baby orangutan begin to open Kéria’s eyes to the importance of her heritage and the horrors of deforestation. 

The Penan’s struggle against predatory logging companies has been ongoing since the 1960s, and while it’s heartening to see a film tackle this topic, the environmental commentary can come across as naïve. The Penan’s well-documented non-violent approach to protesting is portrayed here, but it also conflates simple illegality with violence and suggests that social-media visibility is all that’s needed to save the rainforest. In real life, these issues have been visible on social media for years, and the problem is still ongoing.

Savages is at its strongest when focusing on Kéria and her journey from an insecure, occasionally cruel child to a brave and caring member of the tribe. It isn’t a straightforward journey, however. Kéria’s father (Benoît Poelvoorde) is terrified of his daughter reconnecting with her heritage, and Kéria learns that what she at first dismisses as overprotective behaviour may have something to do with the death of her mother. The film shines in this relationship, depicting both father and daughter with empathy and realism as they grow to understand each other. Savages may struggle as an environmental call-to-action, but as an indigenous coming-of-age tale, it’s beautiful. 

Savages is in cinemas from Friday 1 August.