“White Plastic Sky”, interview with directors Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó

December 2, 2023

Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó, directors of White Plastic Sky: “We must rethink the way we treat this planet. White Plastic Sky hints at what will happen if we don’t”.

“White Plastic Sky”, interview with directors Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó Chiara Nicoletti

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“White Plastic Sky is our answer to the question of what the future of humanity will look like. It was never meant to propose an easy or comfortable answer. What would happen, if for a moment, the human race could think of itself as part of a bigger story? If we could understand that life itself is more important than human life?”

This is the starting point of White Plastic Sky, first feature animation film by Hungarian filmmaker duo Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó which, after premiering at the 73rd Berlinale in the Encounters section, is screening in competition at the 41st Torino Film Festival.

White Plastic Sky is set in 2123, a (we hope) dystopian future where, in order to guarantee survival for the future generations, every citizen of the world can only live until the age of 50. Once reached that milestone, they will be gradually turned into a tree.

The directors confirm that this is a love story as it talks about a man’s struggle and journey to save his wife who, after going through some very difficult moments in her life, decided to voluntarily sign up for donating her own body before her time.

“Stefan and Nóra, are no heroes. They are ordinary people who happen to have the possibility of a choice” say the directors. In Torino, we meet the duo again after Berlinale and they talk about their hopes for the future and the film’s reception during their festival journey so far.

Plot

2123. Faced with diminishing resources, the human race can only survive through a trade-off: at the age of 50, every citizen is gradually turned into a tree. When Stefan discovers that his beloved wife Nóra has voluntarily signed up for donating her own body before her time, he sets out on an adventurous journey to save her at all costs.

Written by: Chiara Nicoletti

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