The Tear-Jerking Animated Canadian Film Winning Hearts at Cannes

The audience in Cannes was in tears at the premiere of Tangles, the animated film which triggered a 7-minute standing ovation at the 2026 festival.

Tangles is an acclaimed adult-animated biographical drama directed by Vancouver’s Leah Nelson and adapted from Canadian Sarah Leavitt’s graphic memoir about the Alzehimer’s journey of her mother, from the diagnosis of the disease in her doctor’s office (video clip below) through her death.

Voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who also was a producer of the film, and a name cast that includes Seth Rogan, Wanda Sykes, Bryan Cranston, and Sarah Silverman, among others, the film is being praised for its unusually effective combination of pathos and humour. It was entirely drawn by hand.

The synopsis for Leavitt’s graphic novel: When Alzheimer’s disease begins to strip away her mother’s vibrant personality, a headstrong young woman is forced to return to her oddball family in the conservative small town she recently fled in order to care for her. She quickly realizes she must accept the cruel and warped reality of the disease – and the imperfect beauty of her family – in order to become the daughter they need.

Since it was first released in 2010 by Freehand, a small press in Alberta, Tangles has been published in the US, UK, France, Germany and Korea and has become an important text in the field of graphic medicine (comics about health-related issues).

Profile from the Cannes Film Festival, here.

A full feature on CBC Arts, here.

Why Canada has been an animation powerhouse for decades, here.

And watch this video produced at the time of the 2026 Oscar nominations for Canadian animators. Note: KPop Demon Hunters won Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song in 2026.