In 2043, humanity launches a spaceship called Zoopticon to send a greeting to distant galaxies. Lightyears later, the once proud – loaded with valuable cultural artefacts and lots of hope, after all – ambassador’s spirits sink in the infinite expanse. Loneliness leads to a blundering suicide attempt which jolts the spaceship’s body awake, whereupon the genetic material of five animals from five continents stored in petri dishes unexpectedly comes to life.

Jon Frickey, Sandra Trostel and Thies Mynther brush the science fiction classic “2001” against the grain. Their Zoopticon, a benevolent relative of Stanley Kubrick’s supercomputer HAL 9000, takes a surprising route on its odyssey through space. Their extraordinarily stylish animation starts with a moving monologue of the sensitive protagonist and finds its perfect orbit as a grandiose opera gradually begins to unfold – complete with soulful drama, brightly coloured radiant pop charm and tongue-in-cheek cathartic confidence.