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
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
All We Imagine as Light
What Wong Kar-wai did for Hong Kong, Payal Kapadia does for Mumbai: the Cannes Grand Prix winner is a romantic heartbreaker about three nurses at different stages of life. It's a future classic.
Let's Get Lost
One of the essential jazz films, this is an achingly tender record of jazz icon Chet Baker shortly before he died, still playing beautiful music and looking back on a life of might-have-beens. A love letter to a lost soul.
Bird
In Andrea Arnold's latest, 12-year-old Bailey (Nykiya Adams) lives in a squat near the English seaside. Neglected by her chaotic father (Barry Keoghan), she pursues an adventure with a magnetic stranger named Bird (Franz Rogowski).
Ghost Cat Anzu
When fifth grader Karin is deposited with her grandfather for the summer she takes out her unhappiness on his giant talking cat, Anzu -- who looks out for her even so. This wildly original anime riffs on Spirited Away with pleasing irreverence. Rated: PG.
Memoir of a Snail
A stellar Australian cast voice this charming and emotional animated feature by Adam Elliot, the tale of a lonely foster kid befriended by an eccentric elderly woman who turns her life around. (Not for kids!)