English summary

Cuca is growing up happily amid Brazil’s lush nature. He’s a cheerful country boy but his dad has left home to seek work in the city. Not knowing when his dad will return, Cuca misses him so intensely that he packs a suitcase and goes in search of him. The colourful, exciting odyssey that follows is deeply enchanting and moving and clearly illustrates that freedom, in whatever form, has to be won again and again. Last year the film won the prestigious Cristal for the best and most inventive film during the International Animated Film Festival in Annecy.

Illustrator, artist, writer and animator Alê Abreu brings his highly stylised figures easily to life in this animated film. Their world is full of gorgeous, brilliant colour and the music is beautiful and lively. As we watch Cuca’s story unfold, we are warned about the soullessness of slavish work, mass production and globalisation. The film shows what it is like to be an adult and a child in today’s world and appeals to both the adult and child within us, the heart and the head. From the start until its surprising conclusion, O Menino e o Mundo is fascinating, absorbing and exciting. It is a must-see for everyone between 6 and 100 who loves imagination and wonderment.