In Ugo Bienvenu’s animated film “Arco,” two visions of the future unfold, driven by a storyline that shifts between two time periods. The narrative follows a 10-year-old boy accidentally transported from the year 2932 to the near future of 2075. The distant future portrays a world devastated by climate disasters and rising sea levels, rendering it nearly uninhabitable despite its aesthetic beauty in Bienvenu’s intricate 2D animation style.
Upon arriving in the near future, the boy encounters a world that is more familiar yet still threatened by impending changes. A massive forest fire looms on the outskirts of the village he stumbles into, with residents largely avoiding confronting the looming crisis. Bienvenu and co-producer Natalie Portman view these contrasting futures as reflections of potential paths for humanity.
Bienvenu expressed a sense of hopefulness in creating “Arco,” aiming to inspire the younger generation and instill confidence in pursuing their aspirations and ideas as vital agents of change. Portman, drawn to the project’s exploration of dual futures, emphasized the uncertainty surrounding what lies ahead, rejecting fatalistic outlooks in favor of embracing imagination, creativity, and human innovation to shape a better future.
The film’s refusal to offer definitive predictions has resonated positively, earning it the title of best animated feature at the European Film Awards and a nomination in the same category at the 98th Academy Awards. For Bienvenu, the essence of the film lies not in achieving absolute victory but in the nuanced interplay between loss and eventual triumph, embodying the age-old adage that “From wrong comes the right.”