51 years later, why does this sci-fi movie remain historic?

It’s one of the first animated films to break into the realm of science fiction: René Laloux’s Savage Planet hits our theaters on May 1st.

Loosely inspired by the novel “Om seriesStephen Woolley’s feature film, which hit theaters in December 1973, is set on the planet Ygam, home to giant androids called the Draag. They raise tiny humans nicknamed War. But one day, young Tiwa Om comes out. be wiser and cause rebellion.

The first animated sci-fi film for adults

It is also one of the first animated films intended for an adult audience. wild planet It goes down in history as the beginning of a new era in the field of animation. The feature film explores philosophical, political and environmental themes. Themes that in the 70’s had never been so directly addressed in animated cinema, until now aimed at children.

This animated film created a sensation upon its release and was also awarded a special prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, becoming an iconic Rene Laloux and his accomplice Roland Topor, to whom we also owe the paintings. The feature film took five years of work, including 3 and a half years to create the 1,073 shots of the film. The nature of the animation techniques used, which included pencil drawings, paper cutouts and manipulation of physical materials, helped to prolong the creative process.

Retrospective Rene Laloux

This Franco-Czechoslovak co-production was filmed at the famous Jiří Trnka studio in Prague. Trnka Studios has influenced many other animation filmmakers around the world.

The first of three feature films directed by René Laloux, La Planète Sauvage hits theaters on May 1, alongside Gandahar , another SF animated film from Laloux that came out in 1987. Note that Tamasa Distribution is also releasing Les Maîtres du time (1982) by René Laloux, adapted from “Orphan of PerdidBy Stefan Woolley.