The Congress
Science fiction pushes the boundaries, explores the improbable, and envisions the future of humanity. It also exposes us to extravagant visual effects and the inventive power of cinema, reflecting our deepest fantasies. In cinema, science fiction is immersive, creating worlds suddenly within our reach. This summer, over one hundred films from the history of cinema will allow us to witness this!
Winner of the European Film Award for Best Animated Film in 2013
More than two decades after catapulting to stardom with The Princess Bride, an aging actress decides to take her final job: preserving her digital likeness for a future Hollywood. Through a deal brokered by her loyal, longtime agent and the head of Miramount Studios, her alias will be controlled by the studio, and will star in any film they want with no restrictions. In return, she receives healthy compensation so she can care for her ailing son and her digitized character will stay forever young. Twenty years later, under the creative vision of the studio’s head animator, Wright’s digital double rises to immortal stardom. With her contract expiring, she is invited to take part in “The Congress” convention as she makes her comeback straight into the world of future fantasy cinema.
Ari Folman
Ari Folman is an Israeli screenwriter and film director. He began his career by directing several documentaries for Israeli television, many of which were set in the occupied territories of Gaza. In 1995, he directed his first feature film, Saint Clara. Six years later, he returned to the director's chair for another drama, Made in Israel. He then ventured into animation for the first time with Waltz with Bashir, for which he was also the screenwriter and one of the leading actors. The film was critically acclaimed at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and won the César and Golden Globe awards for Best Foreign Film. His first English-language film, The Congress, combines animated sequences with live-action footage. This work, based on the novel The Futurological Congress, explores themes of the future, reality, and unfulfilled desires. In the film, actors seek to revive their careers, with Robin Wright playing the main character and portraying herself. In 2021, he adapted The Diary of Anne Frank into a film that blends animation and stop-motion techniques.
