THE SON OF THE STARS (1988) — A Romanian Animated Space Oddity!

7th House’s Out There series, exploring the farthest reaches of trippy interstellar animation, journeys onward, with a rare screening of SON OF THE STARS (Fiul Stelelor, 1988), a singularly far out, recently unearthed Romanian gem of late-20th century Eastern European animation.

Set aboard a spacecraft returning to Earth after a years-long mission, the film follows a family traveling through deep space when a mysterious distress signal sent centuries earlier draws them off course. After a catastrophic accident leaves their young son Dan stranded on a jungle-like alien planet, he is taken in by a strange, otherworldly (and undeniably cute) race of bulbous, telekinetic beings who raise him as their own, amidst eerie stone gardens of frozen space creatures. As he grows, Dan begins to develop abilities that allow him to move beyond this world, setting out on a journey through vast, decaying, Cubist-like structures and a succession of surreal encounters—alien-headed cosmic flora, a giant disembodied eye, a sword-wielding, armor-clad space knight, and more—a quest that begins as a search for his parents and gradually reveals something larger and more mysterious.

Rendered through a striking fusion of techniques combining human figures traced from live-action performances with more overtly cartoonish, often surreal alien forms, the film’s hand-crafted imagery shifts between moments of tactile rotoscoped realism and kaleidoscopic psychedelic visions. From Alien to The Empire Strikes Back to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan adventures, directors Mircea Toia and Călin Cazan’s deep space epic draws from a wide spectrum of science fiction and fantasy inspiration. Produced at Romania’s Animafilm (the same studio behind the similarly rediscovered Delta Space Mission) the result is a one-of-a-kind sci-fi odyssey that’s a grandiose (and often goofy) visually immersive blast.

Recently rediscovered and rarely theatrically screened, this richly imagined, otherworldly animated space opera is presented in a new 4K restoration from the original negative.

Dirs. Mircea Toia & Călin Cazan, 1988, 79 mins, Romania, Romanian w/ English subtitles, Unrated, Digital.

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

OUT THERE: FAR-OUT INTERGALACTIC ANIMATION (April — June!)

This April–June, 7th House is picking up strange signals from distant worlds — hand-hewn visions of tomorrow dispatched from impossible planets and the furthest reaches of inner and outer space. Prepare for blast-off with OUT THERE: FAR-OUT INTERGALACTIC ANIMATION!

Animation, with possibilities as boundless as imagination itself, has long served as a vessel for the cosmic, the surreal, and the otherwise unknowable. This globe-spanning series gathers a constellation of visionary works that harness the medium’s unique power to conjure radically other worlds, from psychedelic galaxies to metaphysical dreamscapes.

Spanning France, Canada, the Soviet Union, Romania, Germany, and Japan (with a surprise special USA/North Korea transmission arriving soon..!), these films traverse distant planets and interior landscapes alike — mapping strange futures, alternate dimensions, and the fragile architectures of consciousness itself.

Discounted series passes available!

• (1973)
• (1983) (co-presented by Uh Oh Canadia at WHAMMY! Analog Media) *Not included in series pass
• (1988)
• (2006) + Spaced-Out Shorts!
• 5/24 — THE SON OF THE STARS (1988)
• (1985)
• Plus Surprise June Screening Announcing Soon!

ADVISORY DISCLAIMER

With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].

CONTENT DISCLAIMER

The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.

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