POP UP CINEMA BRIGHTON
White Wall Cinema presents
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 4TH
UGO BIENVENU'S
ARCO
ANIMATION SPECIAL
+PRE FILM IN PERSON Q&A
WITH WORLD ANIMATION EXPERT MICHAEL LEADER
DIRECTOR: Ugo Bienvenu
STARRING: Juliano Krue Valdi, Romy Fay, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea, Andy Samberg, Wyatt Danieluk, & Roeg Sutherland.
Join us for a special screening of Arco, the beautiful new animation by French illustrator, director and publisher Ugo Bienvenu, preceded by a Q&A with one of the UK's one of the UK's foremost voices on animation in cinema, Ghibliotheque's Michael Leader.
**PLEASE NOTE - Doors for this event open at 7pm. Please arrive before 7.30pm so that the Q&A can begin promptly.
Alongside the screening and Q&A, there will also be an opportunity to purchase copies of Michael's fascinating co-authored book on world animation The Animation Atlas and have it personally signed - to ensure your copy please select the + Book option on the ticketing site.
ABOUT MICHAEL LEADER
Michael is the co-host and creator, alongside his partner Jake Cunningham, of one of the UK's leading film podcasts, Ghibliotheque - a Studio Ghibli and animation-focused podcast that has spawned a hugely popular selection of books, that Michael has co-authored.
These include Ghibliotheque: The Unofficial Guide to the World of Studio Ghibli, The World of Studio Ghibli, Ghibliverse: Studio Ghibli Beyond the Films, Film Korea: The Essential Guide to the Wonderful World of Korean Cinema, The Anime Movie Guide: The Essential Guide to Japanese Animated Cinema, and most recently Ghiblipedia and The Animation Atlas.
The latter is a chronicle of this truly global art form in all its guises, spanning the globe from Spain to South Africa, and China to Chile.
Michael has also appeared on Little White Lies: Truth & Movies, BBC Radio 4's Front Row and BBC Radio 5 Live. From 2019 to 2021, he was also the Commissioning Editor and Series Producer of the BBC Arts / BBC iPlayer series Inside Cinema and Inside Games, for which he wrote and produced short-form documentaries.
We'll be discussing all things world animation, from the big guns like Studio Ghibli, (of course) as well as Cartoon Saloon and Laika, through to lesser-known but equally beautiful animation gems from around the world.
ABOUT ARCO
This beautifully crafted and deeply moving animation comes from French illustrator, director and publisher Ugo Bienvenu. Co-produced by Natalie Portman, Arco premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to earn nominations for Best Animated Feature at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards.
A triumph of wonderfully understated storytelling, Bienvenu allows his exquisite hand-drawn imagery to conjure an extraordinary world where science and magic coexist. At its heart is the story of Arco, a ten-year-old boy from the future who travels back in time to the year 2075. When a young girl named Iris witnesses his arrival, she takes him under her wing, determined to help him find his way home with the assistance of her trusted robot caretaker, Mikki. Featuring a voice cast every bit as sparkling and accomplished as the film’s visuals, Arco brings together an exceptional ensemble of talent, including Juliano Krue Valdi, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea and Andy Samberg.
An extraordinary fusion of visual influences and artistic styles, Arco is one of the most visually arresting animated films of recent years. Its vibrant colours, richly imagined world and dreamlike atmosphere inevitably evoke the work of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, yet Bienvenu creates something entirely his own: a film brimming with wonder, originality and emotional depth.
The film has inspired glowing praise from some of cinema’s most celebrated creative voices:
“Radiates with pure imagination, crafted with the hands and the heart of a true artist. Huge in scope, yet every hand-drawn frame feels personal.”
— Alfonso Cuarón (Director of Gravity, Roma)
“Absolutely thrills. The original vision and virtuosic hand-drawn artistry push animation forward.”
— Brady Corbet (Director of The Brutalist)
“Elegant, intelligent, colourful, and deeply human, reminds us of a better future.”
— Thomas Bangalter (of Daft Punk)
“What independent animation can be… boldly inventive world-building, crafted with singular imagination.”
— Gints Zilbalodis (Director of Flow)
“I loved Arco. A celebration of so much of what I love about this art form.”
— Tomm Moore (Director of Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells)
“A beautiful film. Expertly crafted and emotionally powerful.”
— Jacques Audiard (Director of A Prophet, Rust and Bone)
“Reconnects us with an innocence that is rare to find in modern cinema.”
— Mia Hansen-Løve (Director of One Fine Morning, Bergman Island)
“It offers more hope and optimism than anything I’ve seen in a long time.”
— Darren Aronofsky (Director of Black Swan, The Wrestler, The Whale)
Don’t miss this very special screening of Arco on Wednesday, November 4. An unforgettable cinematic experience, and a beautiful reminder of the boundless possibilities of animation.
DOORS: 7pm*
START TIME: 7.30pm*
RUN TIME: 89 mins + Q&A
CERT: PG (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)
LOCATION: Wagner Hall (Regency Road, Brighton)
*Please note - doors open at 7pm in advance of screening time in order to give patrons extra time to purchase food & drink and to allow gradual entry to your seats in a safe and easy way. Please try to allow extra time to get seated prior to the performance start time of 7.30pm. We ask you arrive prior to 7.30pm in order that the Q&A can start promptly. No hot food or alcohol from outside the premises is allowed. All alcoholic drinks consumed on the premises must be purchased from the bar as per the conditions of the venue's licence. For more information about screenings and the venue please visit our Venue & Screenings Info page.