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SFFILM Festival

Asterix – The Mansions of the Gods

Directed by Louis Clichy, Alexandre Astier (co-director)

France/Belgium | 85

21 Nov
Sat, Nov 21, 2015 at 1:00 pm PT

Description

This screening will be presented in 2-D, per the filmmaker’s preference.
The latest filmic incarnation of the beloved French comic Asterix continues its winning tradition, going on 50 years now, of combining goofy puns and skewering social satire. Asterix – The Mansions of the Gods is a mostly faithful adaptation of the similarly titled comic book. Set in 50 BC, the plot begins with Caesar’s attempts to once again crush pesky Gallic culture, this time by assimilation. Asterix, Obelix and all of their fellow Armorican villagers hold out in their resistance to Roman occupation with the help of a magic potion produced by the druid Getafix. Featuring a slave’s revolt—not for freedom, but for better working conditions and benefits—and the garish installation of condominiums by architect Squareonthehypotenus, the film relentlessly pokes fun at cultural contradictions of all types. Co-directors Alexandre Astrier and (former Bay Area resident and animator on Pixar’s Wall-E and Up) Louis Clichy have created a definitive French box office blockbuster that appeals to both children and adults. The CGI animation is satisfying and the humor is smart and inclusive; even if you have never read an Asterix comic strip, you’ll be up to speed and laughing from the jump. Recommended for ages eight and up.

Director Louis Clichy, Alexandre Astier (co-director)

Louis Clichy studied history at the Sorbonne University, and then entered Les Gobelins, a well-known French visual arts and entertainment school. He worked for several production studios in Europe. Spotted by Pixar for his short film A quoi ça sert l’amour based on the Edith Piaf song, he was recruited to work on Ratatouille, Wall-E and Up. In 2010, the French film company M6 offered him direction on the film Asterix – The Mansions of the Gods; he joined Mikros image studio for three years to oversee production on the 3-D animated feature.

Film Details

Language French

Original Language Title Astérix – Le domaine des dieux

Year 2014

Runtime 85

Country France/Belgium

Director Louis Clichy, Alexandre Astier (co-director)

Producer Philippe Bony, Thomas Valentin

Writer Alexandre Astier

Editor Soline Guyonneau

Music Philippe Rombi

Cast Roger Carel, Lorànt Deutsch, Laurent Lafitte