online catalogue
Feature Films for Children

Laika

Aurel Klimt | Czech Republic | 2017 | 88 min | CS | EN titulky | 8+

This puppet sci-fi musical begins on the outskirts of a Russian city, where Laika the dog is looking for food to feed her puppies. She is unfortunately caught by dog catchers and then forcibly retrained to become an astronautics pioneer. Soon after her flight to space, Houston and Baikonur hastily send a number of other animals to follow. The animals wander aimlessly through space until they are consumed by a black hole which takes them to a distant subtropical planet. After a period of happy and peaceful cohabitation with the local creatures, they are joined by two human astronauts and suddenly the harmony and the lives of the animals are in danger.
This film is based on the theatre piece Laika, Cchin and Gagarin staged by Aurel Klimt in 2003. The film adopted some of the characters from this play as well as a part of the story. The dismal environment of Earth portrayed in this film was designed by one of the director’s close collaborators, graphic artist Martin Velíšek. The planet Quem was designed by the Slovak graphic artist František Lipták. The film is unique in that a crew of only five people worked on its production in the studios (the whole film was animated by only three animators), whereas the post-production was conducted by hundreds of xperts from the UPP Studios in Prague. The production of the feature debut of Aurel Klimt who is known for his successful short films (such as The Fall, Fimfarum and Enchanted Bell) took ten years.

Zombillenium

Arthur De Pins, Alexis Ducord | France, Belgium | 2017 | 80 min | FR | CS titulky | 12+

Beneath the rather humorous surface of the fantasy comedy Zombillenium by Arthur de Pins & Alexis Ducord hides a more serious tone. One day, a workaholic work inspector called Hector, who has no time for his daughter, spontaneously decides to inspect a Halloween theme park called Zombillenium near the city. His daughter would very much like to go there and Hector absent-mindedly promises to take her. But the spitefulness which he brings to the park is soon gone. When he finds out who the real “employees” are, it is too late to return to ordinary life. Unwillingly, Hector joins other tame zombies in the working process. But soon, the financial problems of the park and a long-term rivalry between vampires and zombies become apparent, and unexpected things start happening. And that is the moment when Hector’s lonely daughter comes looking for him… This stylized (only to the extent that its visuals don’t overshadow its content) film is based on a comic series of the same name. It uses a playful form to reflect the situation on the French job market (including unions, strikes, etc.) The film was screened at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the 2017 European Film Award for the best film.

The Breadwinner

Nora Twomey | Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg | 2017 | 93 min | EN | CS titulky | 8+

Parvana is an 11-year-old girl living with her family in Kabul, Afghanistan under Taliban rule in 2001. She joins her father in his efforts to provide for the family, can read and write and can even tell ancient stories her father has taught her. In this charming film about love for one’s family and the immense bravery of a little girl in a world strictly controlled by men, these stories help her to fight the injustice which surrounds her because her father was wrongfully arrested. Disguised as boys, Parvana and her friend take over the roles of family providers. But Parvana refuses to let go of her dream that, one day, they will all be together again.
The varied cut-out animation sequences contrasting with the digitally created background of the main storyline reflect a fairy tale about a journey to find a spooky elephant demon, which Parvana shares with her little brother Zaki and her friend Shauzia. The Breadwinner is the feature debut of Irish director Nora Twomey who worked alongside Tomm Moore on The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Canadian author Deborah Ellis who based her book on interviews with children in refugee camps in Pakistan. The film’s producer was Angelina Jolie, who is known for her humanitarian activities in Afghanistan and worldwide.

Big Bad Fox and Other Tales

Patrick Imbert, Benjamin Renner | Belgium, France | 2017 | 79 min | FR | 6+