Discover the film *Ninjaaa*:
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Théo, a 26-year-old researcher specialising in ninjas who suffers from social anxiety, is on his way home, carrying armfuls of books covered in Post-it notes. He tries to avoid passers-by but feels the pressure of being out in public.
When he finally walks through the front door, he finds his grandmother, Janine, vacuuming, and Touille, her cat, hissing at him. Janine asks him to tidy away his things because some friends are coming round to play bridge, but Théo prefers to practise for his presentation first, with Touille and some figurines.
But it all falls apart when his colleague calls to pull out, leaving him to give the talk on his own in front of 3,000 people.
Théo panics; Janine arrives and tells him to hurry up because her friends are on their way. In the heat of the moment, a dark figure appears: Ninchat, a strange creature that’s half-ninja, half-cat – mysterious and sarcastic – introduces himself as a mentor in the arts of ninjutsu.
This self-assured mentor offers to introduce him to the art of being a cat. The doorbell rings; Ninchat leaps out of the window, and Théo decides to follow him, only to fall off the balcony, taking some laundry with him.
Under Ninchat’s guidance, Théo trains in the city. He carries out various exercises, such as moving stealthily through the streets and practising agility on scaffolding, which he climbs with some difficulty. He must avoid obstacles and will then learn to run across rooftops; throughout his training, his build and dynamism increasingly resemble those of Ninchat.
That morning, Ninchat suggests to Théo – now a Ninja – that he blend into the crowd on the street. Théo moves easily amongst them and then spots Janine in the crowd. As he tries to reach her, overhearing the conversations of those around him reveals that they are there for the lecture, causing him to doubt himself; Ninchat, perched on the front of the lecture theatre, reminds him that he is invisible and that there is no longer any point in attending the lecture.
Théo panics; Janine walks past him without seeing him. He calls out to her, but she doesn’t reply and disappears into the crowd, which is growing denser; everything goes black. Ninchat’s giant eyes appear above the cowering Théo.
No longer able to understand Théo, Ninchat reinforces his anxieties – that being invisible is the best way to avoid having to face people – and then fuels his doubts about not being good enough and about being judged by showing him the conference audience.
Théo, overcome by panic, pulls a handkerchief from his pocket. On it, he rediscovers his initials, embroidered by Janine.
As he looked up, he seemed to recognise her silhouette in the audience. Théo clenched the handkerchief in his hand and threw his scarf to the ground, banishing his anxiety and Ninchat. As he approached the stage, Touille emerged from the scarf.
Théo steps up to the microphone and tries to speak. Janine, sitting in the front row with Touille, cheers him on. Théo gains confidence and begins his talk, addressing the audience with newfound self-assurance, ready to share not only his passion but also his personal triumphs.
