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James Marsh

3.5/5 stars
After winning the Cristal for a Feature Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, French filmmaker Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco went on to be nominated at every major awards ceremony this past season, only to be eclipsed by Netflix’s cultural juggernaut, KPop Demon Hunters.
While the latter’s success is undeniable, Arco is more than worthy of recognition, emerging as a charming and delicately handled sci-fi fable with a powerful ecological message.
In the year 2075, the Earth is constantly ravaged by storms, wildfires and other extreme weather phenomena. Nevertheless, life continues, with communities living beneath giant protective bubbles and most everyday tasks being conducted by robots.


Ten-year-old Iris (voiced by Romy Fay) lives in a sleepy suburb with her baby brother Peter and faithful nanny-bot Mikki, while her parents are absent, working in the city.
When she spots an erratic rainbow hurtling through the sky, Iris chases it into the woods, where she meets Arco (Juliano Krue Valdi), a boy who claims to have travelled back in time from a distant utopian future.
Iris learns that Arco is too young to legally time-travel and that he stole his elder sister’s cape and gemstone hoping to go back to “see the dinosaurs”.
After losing the crystalline device that powers his cape, Arco is stranded in 2075 unless Iris can help him get home. Making matters worse, the pair is pursued by a trio of bumbling conspiracy theorists eager to get their hands on his technology.

Natalie Portman is named among Arco’s producers and provides the voice of Iris’ mother in the English-language version of the film. She and Mark Ruffalo – who voices Iris’ father – also provide the synced dual voice of the robot Mikki. Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea and Andy Samberg round out the cast of Bienvenu’s heartfelt adventure.
Bienvenu’s vision of the years ahead is utterly wholesome. He includes numerous technological advances, but shies away from hi-tech gadgetry in favour of simplistic, colourful devices that more closely resemble children’s toys.
Similarly, in Arco’s timeline, humanity lives in the clouds and is propelled through space and time by rainbows, while the Earth’s surface lies fallow beneath them.
Arco invites comparisons to Peter Pan, JM Barrie’s quintessential story of childhood innocence and social responsibility. Like the classic tale, its young protagonists are rebellious, frequently ignored by their elders, yet potentially hold the answers to the planet’s survival.

Intentionally geared towards a younger audience, the film’s message is hopeful yet direct: an idyllic future is attainable and our world can be saved, but it falls to us today to make the necessary sacrifices.
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Featuring voices including Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo, Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco delivers a powerful ecological message


Featuring voices including Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo, Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco delivers a powerful ecological message.


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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Featuring voices including Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo, Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco delivers a powerful ecological message

Featuring voices including Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo, Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco delivers a powerful ecological message