This wordless, sensuous, uniquely original animated film follows Cuca, a young Brazilian boy who ventures from his simple countryside home into a neon-infused, carnivalesque metropolis in search of his father.
Beautiful… The Boy in the World is an imaginatively rendered picture of modernity as seen through the eyes of a child.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2014
The Boy and the World 2013
O menino e o mundo
Enter the world of Cuca, a small boy growing up in the Brazilian countryside. His quiet life is thrown upside down when his father leaves to work in the neon-infused city, prompting curious Cuca to embark on an adventure to find him. Along the way he uncovers a new modern world dominated by animal-machines and a variety of strange characters. Brazilian artist Alê Abreu has created a nearly wordless, exquisitely rendered, whimsical and touching film which views contemporary society through the eyes of a child. Melding mesmerising sound design with uniquely original animation, its samba and hip-hop score is a perfect match for the playful, vibrant images – in which every frame near explodes with brilliant colour. — Nic Marshall
“The seemingly simple story unveils the conflict between country and city, poor and wealthy, handmade to motorized in such a way that audiences of all ages will experience different levels of the same narrative. Abreu’s film is captivating, keeping attention rapt for its full running time with hardly a line of dialogue all the way to its surprising and emotional finale.” — Seattle International Film Festival
Proudly presented in association with Square Eyes