《男孩和世界》:库卡的冒险之旅

The Boy and the World： The Journey of Cuca

The Boy and the World， or O Menino e o Mundo as it’s known in its native Brazil， is a lively， 1）textural and tender animated 2）feature film directed by Alê Abreu. The film 3）premiered at Ottawa International Animation Festival注1 2013， and has gone on to win both the Cristal Award and the Audience Award for feature film at The Annecy International Animation Film Festival注2 2014. It is expected to be 4）distributed across the U.S. by GKIDS注3 and will be among the 2015 Oscar 5）nominations. It is Alê Abreu’s second animated feature film after Garoto Cósmico （2008）， which never saw a theatrical release outside of Brazil.

The little boy， Cuca， is growing up in a simple family in the 6）cozy Brazilian countryside. Cuca’s playful， carefree life is 7）shattered when his father moves to the city to earn money for the family. Cuca thus 8）embarks on a journey to find his father.

Done in a simple， colorful， handmade style， this film is the opposite of most computer animation we see these days. There’s a heartfelt quality that goes with the handcrafted nature of its slightly 9）surreal and beautiful images. Truly universal， there’s not a single word of real dialogue， just some 10）occasional 11）gibberish-speak. There’s also great Brazilian music that changes personality with the boy’s adventures， along with a nice lesson for kids about the loss of the beauty of nature in the industrial world.

The warm playful colours of The Boy and the World will bring out the kid in everyone as audiences find themselves 12）enthralled with Cuca’s charming adventures. It is a fun adventure within the diverse and changing Brazil， but the film could easily take place anywhere. The film contains 13）nary a line of dialogue， so there’s little to identify the setting aside from 14）malleable symbols and the celebrations in the city streets as the film ends. The opening blankness of the film could ideally allow viewers to identify Cuca’s peaceful 15）homestead as their own. In return， The Boy and the World 16）puts viewers in Cuca’s shoes and allows them to join him on this 17）rollicking， 18）spirited adventure.

《男孩和世界》，巴西原版名为《梅尼诺EO的世界》，是一部生动、有质感又温和的动画故事长片，由阿勒・阿布鲁执导。该片于2013年加拿大渥太华国际动画节首映，接着又在2014年法国安纳西国际动画电影节赢得“水晶长片奖”及“最受观众欢迎奖”。《男孩和世界》将由美国GKIDS公司在全美范围内发行，并将争夺2015年奥斯卡金像奖。它是阿勒・阿布鲁继2008年《宇宙少年》（未曾在巴西以外的地区上映）之后的第二部动画长片。

小男孩库卡生长在巴西一个惬意小乡村的简单家庭里。库卡无忧无虑的玩乐生活，在父亲到城里赚钱养家的那一刻，便被粉碎了。库卡因此踏上了一段寻父之旅。

与如今大多数由电脑制成的动画电影相反，这部电影采用了简约、多彩的手绘风格。它那手工特制的美好画面带有些微超现实感，十分走心。全片没有一字真正的对话，只有间或几声乱语，适合所有观众。片中动听的巴西音乐随着男孩的冒险经历不断转换风格，该片同时也给孩子们上了很好的一堂课：在工业世界里，大自然之美已渐渐消失。

《男孩和世界》那温暖童趣的色彩，定能唤起每一位观影者内心的童真，而观影者们亦会发现自己被库卡的奇幻冒险深深迷住。置身于多元多变的巴西是一种有趣的体验，然而这部电影却可以发生在任何一个地方。电影本身一句台词也没有，因此除了电影末尾街道上那些可塑性的标志和庆典活动之外，没有什么元素可以明示故事发生的地点。片首开放性的空白镜头完美地让观影者将库卡那宁静的家园想象成自己的家乡。反过来，《男孩和世界》让观影者设身处地地代入库卡的角色，和他一起经历这欢乐且充满活力的冒险之旅。

注1：加拿大渥太华国际动画节于1976年开始举办，是北美洲最大动画电影节、全球四大国际动画电影节之一。

注2：法国安纳西国际动画电影节创立于1960年，是目前世界上规模最大、水准最高的国际动画节，被誉为“动画奥斯卡”。

注3：GKIDS=Guerrilla Kids International Distribution Syndicate，是美国一家动漫及青少年电影发行公司，曾发行过吉卜力工作室的多部动画。