The world is a hellscape right now, both literally and metaphorically, and no one knows that better than Natalie Portman. The actress, vegan and long-time climate activist has been at the forefront of calls for climate change and raising awareness throughout her decades-long career. And now she’s using animation to move things along. In “Arco,” a newly released animated film from French director and illustrator Ugo Bienvenu and produced by Portman, audiences are transported to the not-so-distant future. Except in this version of Earth, in the year 2075, the tsunamis and forest fires becoming more frequent and devastating? They are essentially the norm; with homes equipped with glass domes that provide protection in extreme weather. Here we meet Iris, an adventurous ten year old who is looking for adventures outside of her everyday life. When she one day saves Arco, a time-traveling child kidnapped from the future, it becomes a story about the power and impact of friendship in more ways than one.
