Space Cadet

Veteran DJ Kid Koala takes to the screen with this animated tale of a robot and an astronaut who long to be reunited – a wordless, timeless shrine to longing, loss and the power of music. From when she was a small child, Celeste has harboured a lifelong dream to be an astronaut. By her side through the years has been her faithful robot, serving as teacher, companion and friend. When the now-grown Celeste departs on an interstellar space mission, the pair miss each other dearly – and Celeste’s robot, left behind on Earth, has to figure out what to do with his life. Canadian music producer and turntablist Eric Sen – best known, via his nom de plume Kid Koala, as a member of Deltron 3030, collaborator with Gorillaz and contributor to the soundtracks of films such as Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World (MIFF 2010) – makes his directorial debut with a feature-length adaptation of his own 2011 graphic novel. Reminiscent of beloved charmer Robot Dreams (MIFF 2023) and Pixar classic WALL•E, Space Cadet is a dialogue-free tale filled with emotion, evoking the passage of time and the changing of generations. Featuring vocal performances from Karen O, Emilíana Torrini and Martha Wainwright, Sen’s vibrant score enhances a universally relatable story about yearning across the cosmos.