Poupelle of Chimney Town

Japanese animation never ceases to amaze us with its breadth and its ability to constantly renew itself. For a generation like ours that grew up with animation series like Goldorak, Cobra, OVAs like Gunnm and so many others, we continue to watch new productions with attention. Some animated films are proving to be true timeless masterpieces such as Poupelle of Chimney Town by Yusuke Hirota designed by STUDIO4 ºC studios (Mind Game (2004), Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), Children of the Sea (2019) and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (2021) which will be distributed this year in France by Eurozoom). 

Poupelle of Chimney Town is the adaptation of the graphic novel by Akihiro Nishino (screenwriter of this film). We follow in a steampunk metropolis the young Lubicchi who lives in the middle of big chimneys whose thick smoke always covers the sky of his city. He would like to prove to everyone that his late father was right and that, beyond the clouds, there are stars. One Halloween night, the young chimney sweep discovers a strange creature made of garbage and names it Poupelle. Together they decide to go on an adventure and discover the sky to find out what is hidden behind the clouds. Following and developing the plot of Akihiro Nishino's graphic novel, Poupelle of Chimney Town is spectacularly beautiful, filled with inspiring performances, music and splendid sound effects. A pure treasure trove of ingenuity that will move you from tears to laughter and keep you in awe.

When you see Poupelle of Chimney Town, it's easy to understand why Hollywood studios are constantly monitoring new Japanese animated productions and taking inspiration from them. A real treasure trove of emotions of all kinds, Poupelle of Chimney Town is an invitation to travel, to surpass oneself and above all to keep our eyes open on our current world. This fantastic social fable is multi-layered and will appeal to the whole family. Children will marvel at the sumptuous animation, while parents will easily understand the author's desire to question our current society and the many dangers of pollution and the recruitment of certain populations deprived of freedom. 

The use of different animation processes brings to this film a very particular aura. By respecting the schematics of pre-digital age animation films and by integrating elements from new technologies, the result is surprising and reveals itself to be of a striking aesthetic beauty. In the same way that Poupelle is an assembly of cables of all kinds, an umbrella and waste of all kinds and reveals itself to be a creature with a noble and innocent soul, this film reminds us of the importance of keeping our childlike soul and of realizing that our passage on this earth is ephemeral. So many broken dreams, sad moments that make us lower our will to believe in a better world are mixed with moments of joy, of being with family or with our best friends. The many characters in this film lead us to dream and above all to forget about this global pandemic that has not stopped and that has changed forever our conception of the world today.

Poupelle of Chimney Town is simply a timeless masterpiece whose animation and history amaze us at every moment. Far from resting on an omnipresent conformism and following the predefined traces of old animated films, this one imposes itself as soon as it is discovered as one of the classics of the genre that will stay in our minds long after having seen it.

Poupelle of Chimney Town
Directed by Yusuke Hirota
Produced by Yusuke Kitahashi, Ryoichi Fukuyama, Eiko Tanaka
Written by Akihiro Nishino
Based on the picturebook Poupelle of Chimney Town by Akihiro Nishino
Starring (original voices) : Masataka Kubota, Mana Ashida, Shinosuke Tatekawa, Eiko Koike, Shingo Fujimori, Toru Nomaguchi, Sairi Itô, Seiji Miyane, Shosei Ohira, Kazuki Iio, Takaya Yamauchi, Jun Kunimura
Starring (Engish voice talent) : Tony Hale, Antonio Raul Corbo, Stephen Root, Hasan Minhay, Misty Lee
Music by Youki Kojima, Yuta Bandoh
Edited by Kiyoshi Hirose 
Production companies : STUDIO4 ºC, Yoshimoto Kogyo
Distributed by Toho (Japan), Eleven Arts (United States), Art House (France)
Release date : December 25, 2020 (Japan), December 30, 2021 (United States), August 17, 2022 (France)
Running time : 100 minutes

Seen on November 30, 2021 (press screener)

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