Boy and the World

Friday, December 11 - Thursday, December 24, 2015

“Dazzling! Boldly imaginative!” – Variety

“A vibrant animated vision!” – The Hollywood Reporter

“A film of beauty, wonder, sadness, and joy.” – Twitch Film

Winner of Over 42 Film Festival Awards

Cuca lives a life of quiet wonder, exploring all that the countryside has to offer. But his cozy life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity and variety as his small world expands. Simple line drawings of the village give way to broad brushstrokes forming giant bushels of cotton lining country roads and sweeps of pastel churned into roaring waves. Approaching the city, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animal-machines, whirling carnival colors and exploding fireworks fill the sky above decoupage favelas, while flashing neon advertisements and garish shop windows illuminate the night.

Entirely wordless, the narrative describes a clash between poor and rich, countryside and city, indigenous and imperial, handcrafted and mechanized – and throughout the tumult, the heart and soul of the people beats on as a song. Accompanying the stunning visuals is a rich soundscape of pan-flute, samba, and Brazilian hip-hop, creating the powerful visceral experience of a passage through life.

“Alê Abreu’s BOY AND THE WORLD is unequivocally the best animated film of the year. Drawn with the finest ends of an artist’s heartstrings and painted with the colorful essence of undefeatable hope, Abreu’s utterly lyrical, visually captivating, musically driven, and extraordinarily sophisticated treasure is the animated equivalent of a childhood dream that thrives on sweet innocence and the pure ability to see the world truthfully for its dazzling beauty and its man-made dangers. As it continues to spellbind the globe with its unconventional artistry and thought-provoking observations, an Oscar nomination would be a more than deserved crown jewel.” –  Carlos Aguilar, Indiewire

  • Country Brazil
  • Language Musical / No Dialogue
  • Running Time 80 minutes minutes
  • Director Alê Abreu

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.