Content provided by British Council
[1] French director Ugo Bienvenu’s first movie, Arco, was nominated for many major awards. It even won a Cristal for a Feature Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. However, it was overshadowed by the popular Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters.
[2] The latter’s success is undeniable. But Arco is a great sci-fi story that deserves attention. It tells a sweet, carefully crafted tale with an important message about caring for the Earth. The film is set in the year 2075. Earth is constantly hit by bad storms and wildfires. Other extreme weather problems also make life tough. Despite this, life continues. People live under big protective bubbles. Most daily jobs are done by robots.
[3] Ten-year-old Iris (voiced by Romy Fay) lives in a sleepy suburb with her baby brother Peter and faithful nanny-bot Mikki. Her parents are absent, working in the city. When she spots a rainbow flying through the sky, Iris chases it into the woods. There, she meets a boy named Arco (Juliano Krue Valdi). He claims to have travelled back in time. He says he comes from the distant future.
[4] Iris learns that Arco is too young to legally time-travel. He stole his elder sister’s cape and gemstone, hoping to go back to “see the dinosaurs”. After losing the crystalline device that powers his cape, Arco is stranded in 2075 unless Iris can help him get home. Making matters worse, the pair is being followed by a trio of conspiracy theorists eager to get their hands on his technology.
[5] Natalie Portman is named among Arco’s producers. She provides the voice of Iris’ mother in the English-language version of the film. She and Mark Ruffalo – who voices Iris’ father – also provide the synced dual voice of the robot Mikki. Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea and Andy Samberg round out the cast of Bienvenu’s heartfelt adventure.
[6] Bienvenu’s film shows a bright future with many new inventions. Instead of complicated gadgets, he prefers simple, colourful devices that look like toys. In Arco’s vision, people live in the clouds and travel through space and time with the help of rainbows. The Earth below is empty and unused.
[7] Arco invites comparisons to Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie’s story of childhood innocence and social responsibility. Like the classic tale, its young protagonists are rebellious and frequently ignored by their elders. However, they may hold the answers to the planet’s survival. The film was initially geared towards a younger audience. Its message is hopeful yet direct: a better future is attainable, and our world can be saved. But it falls to us to make the necessary sacrifices today.
Source: South China Morning Post, April 8
