Independent animation purveyor Miyu Distribution has acquired global rights for The Great History of Western Philosophy, the feature film debut from Mexican animator Aria Covamonas. The director is known for her Dadaist collage-styled shorts like the Sundance selected Socrates’ Adventures in the Underground and Annecy Cristal nominee Hideouser and Hideouser as well as last year’s I Can’t Go on Like This, which playd at Vienna Shorts, Annecy, Anim’est, Fest Anca and GIFF.
Crafted with a mélange of public domain images and audio, The Great History of Western Philosophy kicks off as a “cosmic animator” is tasked by the Central Committee of the People’s Republic to make a philosophical film under the supervision of Chairman Mao. But when the depressed filmmaker gives up before beginning, Mao imposes a sentence of death by firing squad. Through the intervention of Comrade Monkey (of Journey to the West fame), our hapless protagonist is spurred into a journey through the history of Western philosophy.
Luce Grosjean, Miyu Distribution Founder & President, told Variety: “Aria’s film is an incredible piece of art. I fell in love immediately with the visuals, the energy, the absurdity. The film has nothing to envy from ‘Ubu, roi,’ it is pure art and funny. We know that the public we know the best, festival audiences, will love it, and we cannot wait to this crazy journey with them.”
[Source: Variety]
