Viva Carmen
Carmen, l'oiseau rebelle
This painterly, profound adaptation of Georges Bizet’s iconic opera – told from the perspective of children – wowed Cannes crowds with its incredible use of colour.
Salva (voiced by Milo Machado-Graner, Goodbye, Cruel World, MIFF 2026), Belén, Piranha and La Bola are street kids scrapping for survival on the streets of 19th-century Seville. Salva works for the blind knife grinder Antonio, who foretells a mystical prophecy of the death of free-spirited young Romani woman Carmen, who will be killed by the soldier who loves her. When Salva leaps into action in the hope of saving Carmen from her fate, his actions instead set the prophesy into motion.
From Jacques Feyder’s Carmen (MIFF 1981) and Jean-Luc Godard’s Prénom Carmen (MIFF 1985) through to Mark Dornford-May’s U-Carmen eKhayelitsha (MIFF 2005), Georges Bizet’s iconic opera has proved a fertile text for cinematic adaptations. Animator Sébastien Laudenbach (The Girl Without Hands, MIFF 2016) offers a unique take on the classic text, turning the narrative away from the star-cross’d lovers at the centre of its tragedy and instead presenting it from the perspective of children watching fate unfold. Filled with expressive lines and evocative colours, this gorgeously hand-painted work is a sheer delight for those who treasure the animated artform.
“The most extravagantly painterly animated feature in recent memory … a veritable triumph of movement, design and, above all, color.” – Variety
Tickets
For information about the accessible services being offered at MIFF, please visit miff.com.au/access. If you require any access service, such as wheelchair/step-free access, for any MIFF session, please call 03 8660 4888 or email boxoffice@miff.com.au to book your ticket.
You might also like ...
This thoughtful, visually vivid sequel to anime mega-hit Poupelle of Chimney Town is an epic adventure about the power of belief.
This poignant Cannes-premiering animation traces the friendship and falling-out of two boys after an incident at school changes their lives forever.
Sarah Leavitt’s acclaimed graphic novel about Alzheimer’s hits the screen with a stellar voice cast including Abbi Jacobson and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.