The Boy and the World (O Menino e o Mundo)
Special Screening
Alê Abreu / Feature Narrative / Brazil / 2013 / 80 min / Colour / DCP
In No Dialogue
Interests: Animation, Avant garde, Children
MENA Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance is advised for viewers under the age of 13. Individuals under the age of 13 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or older.
Synopsis
Cuca lives a happy, simple life in the countryside. One day, his father embarks for the capital in search of work, marking the end of Cuca’s childhood. The boy decides to take the journey to reunite with his father, but the adventure opens his eyes to the harsh reality of a hostile world where technology and consumerism are destroying nature and human lives.
Using a stunning array of techniques, and drawing inspiration from numerous modes of 19th- and 20th-century art, this phenomenal animated delight lies at the intersection of abstract and figurative painting. This allows director Alê Abreu to tackle modern issues like the industrial revolution, the global economy, mass consumption and social repression; at the same time, he presents a reality transfigured by the naïve point of view of a child – as Cuca moves further away from the countryside, the rounded, colourful forms of nature give way to the bleak geometrical patterns of the city, with its gigantic factories that throb with monstrous machines.
Winner of several international prizes, ‘The Boy and the World’ is an extraordinary feast for the eyes that captures the heart and the mind, tackling an eco-friendly subject with an emotional impact and visual mastery rarely seen on screen.
About the Directors
Alê Abreu was born in São Paulo in 1971. At the age of 13, he he made his first short film, ‘Elephant Memory’, at an animation workshop at the Brazilian Museum of Image and Sound. He has directed the short films ‘Sirius’ (1993), ‘Scarecrow’, (1998) and ‘Step’ (2007). His first feature film was ‘Cosmic Boy’ (2007). His most recent film, ‘The Boy and the World’, won several awards worldwide, including Best Film and Audience Award at the Annecy Film Festival.
Credits
- Director
- Alê Abreu
- Screenwriter
- Alê Abreu
- Producer
- Alê Abreu
- Editor
- Alê Abreu
- Music
- Ruben Feffer, Gustavo Kurlat
- Sales Company
- Elo Company
- Production Company
- Filme de Papel
- Cast
- Vinicius Garcia, Felipe Garcia, Alê Abreu, Lu Horta, Marco Aurélio Campos, Cassius Romero