Skip to main content
Robot Dreams film image

Robot Dreams

This event has passed

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

Director
Credits
Country of Origin

Spain/France

Year

2023

Series

Panorama

Language

No Dialogue

G
101 min
Animation Comedy Drama

Book Tickets

This event has passed.

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 headshot

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

Souleymane's Story

Dir. Boris Lojkine
92 min

Exhausted by the grueling grind of the Parisian gig economy and hopping between homeless shelters, Guinean immigrant Souleymane races against time to prepare for his asylum interview. An angry, tender film which is as gripping as any thriller.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

The Last Class

Dir. Elliot Kirschner
72 min

Economist and former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich embarks on what will be his last year teaching at Berkeley. What can he impart to the latest generation to inspire and empower them for the grievous challenges ahead?

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood

Dir. Quentin Tarantino
160 min

A film of luxuriant and sinister beauty, Tarantino's last movie to date is a rich and lovely immersion in the dying days of Old Hollywood, LA, 1969.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Last Breath

Dir. Costa-Gavras
100 min

At the age of 91 the revered filmmaker Costa-Gavras (Z) has made a gentle, curious, hopeful film about life on a palliative ward.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

The Balconettes

Dir. Noémie Merlant
105 min

In this flamboyant black comedy set in Marseille during a heatwave, writer-director-star Noémie Merlant and her two besties have to cover up the unpleasant evidence of a disastrous night partying with the hunk across the way.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Monk in Pieces

Dir. Billy Shebar & David C Roberts
95 min

A playful and engaging portrait of the avant-garde singer, composer, choreographer and performance artist Meredith Monk. Philip Glass, David Byrne and Bjork share their observations.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre