「その女はあの裁団で我ら未来のために消化される。」 [That woman will be digested by that jury for the sake of our future.]
In a far-flung subterranean future, an uneasy alliance between humans and an emancipated clone workforce is shaken when a terrorist cell of sadomasochistic cultists interrupt their joint expedition to research a mysterious anomaly. Soon, the various factions find themselves confronted by distinct possible futures born of their respective meddling with interdimensional distortions, and it falls upon a dutiful robot named Robin to restore a timeline that won’t compromise the integrity of the space-time continuum.
With Junk World, Takahide Hori deepens the universe of Junk Head and offers epic and inspiring stop-motion science-fiction animation cinema.
A Monk’s Work
This stop-motion cinema work was made frame by frame, over a period of more than three years. At the end of the credits, you can appreciate the director’s work as you see him placing his characters and making them move little by little with the camera also moving very slowly.
Making a stop-motion film requires a smaller team, but it requires a simply unimaginable amount of time. But what stands out when compared to other stop-motion cinema works are the simply magnificent sets. We can especially think of the creation of the Kaapvaal set that the characters find towards the end of the film. The amount of detail found in the buildings and the biological tissues that cover them. Or the different creatures that live in this world of despair.
Robin
The movements of the characters are successful and do not give the impression of being created in stop-motion. It must be said that the film mixes stop-motion and animation. But the effect is sublime.
Dark and Funny
This feature film tells the story of a lost future, taking place in a gigantic and complex underground world, 1042 years in the future. New characters, both dark, humorous and endearing, make their appearance. The story unfolds through stunningly beautiful images, characterized by original designs and meticulous craftsmanship.
A long time ago, as their surface habitat was shrinking, humans began to develop the underground. To achieve this, they created the Mulligans, artificial life forms in the image of humans, to serve as a workforce. However, the Mulligans rebelled against humanity by cloning themselves to expand their population and power. After a long war that led to a third ceasefire agreement, the humans remained on the surface, while the Mulligans dominated the underground world, which had expanded to a global scale.
We find ourselves at this crucial moment where the two species must ally to discover the origin of a strange phenomenon. A research team, composed of humans and Mulligans, is urgently formed and is led on the human side by Captain Torys, and the Mulligan team is led by Dante, the original of the clones. They head for the underground city of Kaapvaal. On the way, they are attacked by a Mulligan cult of the “Gyura religion.”
These groups will confront each other as the protective robot, Robin, tries to lead the group to their destination. But what is the real destination?
The film is told according to quantum theories or in a way that allows you to see what would have happened if…
A little more…
What unfolds before the viewer’s eyes is a complex work in which Robin must carry out a mission: “I must protect Madam Torys.” But what does this task mean? What is the mystery hidden in the underground world and the true nature of this phenomenon? And what decision will Robin make at the end of this battle that transcends dimensions?
This is what we witness while watching Junk World, a work which, like its story, could transcend eras and survive the effects of time.
Junk World is being screened at TIFF on September 11, 12, and 14, 2025.
