Free for students with ID
Introduced by members of the Museum’s teen leadership group, hang@mfah

Cuca’s cozy rural life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, with the animation taking on greater complexity as his small world expands. Entering civilization, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animal-machines, with barrios of colorful streets and shop windows, and flashing neon advertisements that illuminate the night. The story depicts a clash between village and city, handcrafted and mechanized, rich and poor—and throughout the tumult, the heart and soul of the people beat on as a song. A soundscape of pan flute, samba, and Brazilian hip-hop mixes with the whirling carnival colors and exploding fireworks.

Poetic, subtle, and heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Boy and the World captures the spirit of longing and hope that a young boy maintains in a rapidly changing world. The film was Oscar-nominated for best animated feature in 2016.