Arco explores hope while Natalie Portman calls optimism 'kind of a lie'.

The French animated film Arco splits its story between two futures and follows a child who travels from 2932 to 2075; Natalie Portman, who co-produced and stars in the film, said optimism is 'kind of a lie' while highlighting the film's belief in imagination.

Ugo Bienvenu's Arco is a French animated film that presents two visions of the future in a single story. The film follows a 10-year-old who accidentally travels from the year 2932 back to 2075. The far future shown is deeply affected by climate change, while the nearer timeline includes a large forest fire at the edge of a village. Natalie Portman co-produced the film, appears in it, and has spoken about its nuanced approach to hope and imagination. Key details: - Arco divides its narrative between the distant year 2932 and the near future of 2075 and centers on a young traveler between those times. - The film depicts a climate-impacted long-term future and a threatened near future, including a large forest fire at a village's edge. - Natalie Portman co-produced and stars in Arco and described optimism as "kind of a lie," emphasizing the film's focus on imagination; Arco won best animated feature at the European Film Awards and is nominated for best animated feature at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15. Summary: Arco frames hope through two contrasting future timelines and a belief in creativity and ideas rather than fixed expectations. The film has received recognition at the European Film Awards and is now an Academy Award nominee, with the Oscars scheduled for March 15.