‘Leftover’ Directors Set Dystopian Animated Tale ‘White Plastic Sky’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó, the duo behind the critically successful shorts “Les Conquerants” and “Leftover,” are set to make their feature debut with “White Plastic Sky,” an ecology-themed dystopian animated feature.

Now in pre-production, “White Plastic Sky” takes place in Budapest in 2220. The soil of the earth hasn’t been fertile for 100 years, causing the extinction of wild life. In Budapest, the survivors are sheltered in a large bubble that protects them from the ultraviolet light and pollution. The future of humanity relies on a mysterious plant created from genetic experiments that people must absorb by the age of 50, leading them to transform themselves into plants. The story is told through the lives of a young couple, Stefan and Nora, who are grieving the loss of their son.

“White Plastic Sky” is set up at France’s Paprika Films, Hungary’s Salto Film and Slovakia’s Artichoke Films.

Budgeted at 3.5 million euros ($4.3 million), the project combines 2D and 3D and used a rotoscoping technique allowing the animators to trace over live action footage to create animation frames. Although the animated feature is filled with fantasy, “White Plastic Sky” also has a strong scientific dimension as the directors worked with geologists, botanists and meteorologists to write the project.

“‘White Plastic Sky’ is a poetic, philosophical and political film. A film which questions humanity and its responsibilities, a film is about love and hope,” said Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin and Laurent Baujard at Paprika Films, whose credits include “March of the Penguins 2: The Call.”

“White Plastic Sky” has been selected for Cartoon Movie, the France-based annual co-production forum dedicated to European animated features.

Bánóczki and Szabó’s “Les Conquerants” played at Sundance’s New Frontier in 2012, and their following short, “Leftover” — which Paprika Films produced — won prizes at Clermont-Ferrand festival and was nominated for best animated short at the Cesar Awards in 2016.

Related stories

Berlin: Music Box Buys U.S. Rights to Thomas Stuber's 'In the Aisles'

'Daughter of Mine' Director Laura Bispuri on Motherhood, Modernity and #MeToo

Berlin: Luiz Bolognesi Talks 'Ex-Shaman'

Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!