Living a solitary existence in Manhattan, Dog is tired of being alone, and mail orders a friend he can assemble himself: Robot. Their friendship blooms while exploring all that 1980s New York City has to offer. Capturing the fantastical possibilities of animated storytelling, director Pablo Berger (Blancanieves) balances the loveable duo’s quirky antics, such as roller skating in Central Park to the classic tunes of Earth, Wind & Fire, with a hint of melancholic longing.
Dog and Robot’s adventures through an NYC filled with anthropomorphized animals may be a fun-filled lark, but Robot Dreams is more than a city symphony devoted to friendship, as it considers heartbreak and loneliness with an assured depth of feeling. Brimming with the heartfelt experience of love, loss, and friendship, this adaptation of Sara Varon’s acclaimed graphic novel showcases the beauty of 2D animation and the power of dialogue-free cinema in an enchanting, illustrated world. Filled with laughter and tears, Robot Dreams is a delightful, bittersweet journey for all ages.
Bolstered by the resilient spirit of New York City, this is one of the loveliest movies that you will see this year, animated or otherwise.
TheWrap
Community Partner
Spain/France
2023
Panorama
No Dialogue
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Producer
Ignasi Estapé, Sandra Tapia, Ibon Cormenzana, Pablo Berger, Angel Durández
Screenwriter
Pablo Berger
ANIM
José Luis Ágreda, Benoît Feroumont, Daniel Fernándes Casas, Patricia Andrades
Editor
Fernando Franco
Original Music
Alfonso de Vilallonga, Yuko Harami
Director
Pablo Berger
Pablo Berger was born in Bilbao, Spain. He’s directed many films, including Torremolinos 73 (2003), Blancanieves (2012), and Abracadabra (2017). Robot Dreams (2023) is his latest film and first animated feature.
Filmography: Torremolinos 73 (2003); Blancanieves (2012); Abracadabra (2017)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Yunan
In this haunting mood piece, Munir is a middle-aged Syrian writer in exile in Germany. In crisis, he takes himself up to one of the Halligan islands in the North Sea, a suitable place to end it all...
The Track
In the middle of a mountain forest above Sarajevo, three boys train for the Olympics in a bullet-ridden luge track abandoned since the 1984 Winter Games. An ambitious, hopeful look at the next generation striving to overcome the sins of their fathers.
The Mother and the Bear
Johnny Ma’s film stars Kim Ho-jung as a Korean woman who flies to Winnipeg when her immigrant daughter is hospitalized there. This crowd-pleaser plays up cultural differences to hilarious effect and offers a touching take on mother-daughter tension.
It Was Just an Accident
Having offered some late-night assistance to a stranger in the wake of an auto accident, a mechanic grows convinced that he recognizes the supposed stranger’s voice as that of his torturer during a grueling prison spell.
Breaking the Waves
Kicking off our 2026 Pantheon series of the greatest films ever made, Lars von Trier's 1996 masterpiece is a devastating melodrama featuring an indelible performance from Emily Watson as the woman whose love for her husband knows no bounds.