Poupelle of Chimney Town
Ajyal Competition, Special Screening, Ajyal at Vox - Ajyal Film Festival 2021
Yusuke Hirota / Feature Narrative / Japan / 2020 / 100 min / Colour / DCP / In English / Arabic subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance is advised. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.
Synopsis
Young Lubicchi lives in the aptly named Chimney Town, a place where the sky is eternally grey due to the countless smokestacks that billow out soot into the air. Lubicchi’s father, who has mysteriously disappeared, used to tell him stories of blue skies and twinkling stars that lie above the thick layers of smog. One Halloween, Lubicchi meets a friendly monster made of garbage which he names Poupelle. Convinced that “if you believe, you’ll find a way”, Lubicchi and Poupelle, embark on a daring mission to discover a new world beyond the smoke.
The heartwarming friendship that develops between Lubicchi and Poupelle shows us that often “monsters” are just misunderstood or rejected by society solely because they are different from the norm. While mostly centring on their relationship, the film explores poignant themes in Lubicchi’s emotional journey after the loss of his father—all within a larger context of a compelling eco-fable dealing with environmental destruction due to economic greed. Based on a bestselling illustrated children’s book by one of Japan’s most famous comedians, ‘Poupelle of Chimney Town’ is a breathtaking visual adventure that is sure to delight anime fans of all ages.
About the Director
Yusuke Hirota joined Studio 4°C in 2001. He served as the Studio’s computer graphics director first on the TV series ‘Piroppo’ (2001), and then on many titles including the Animatrix–‘Beyond’ (2003), Genius Party–‘Baby Blue’ (2007), Genius Party Beyond–‘Moondrive’ (2008), ‘Berserk The Golden Age Arc 1–The Egg of The King, and Harmony’ (2015) for which he was also the co-director. ‘Poupelle of Chimney Town’ (2020) is his directorial debut.
Credits
- Director
- Yusuke Hirota
- Screenwriter
- Akihiro Nishino
- Producer
- Yusuke Kitahashi, Ryoichi Fukuyama, Eiko Tanaka
- Executive Producer
- Akihiro Nishino
- Music
- Youki Kojima, Yuta Bandoh
- Production Company
- STUDIO4ºC
- Distributor
- Kiyuki Inc.
- Cast
- Voices: Tony Hale, Antonio Raul Corbo, Stephen Root, Misty Lee, Hasan Minhaj