Oscar-nominated film Robot Dreams has Beach connection with local artist Paul Rivoche

By ERIN HORROCKS-POPE

One of the films nominated for an Oscar at this weekend’s 96th annual Academy Awards has a Beach connection.

Robot Dreams, directed by Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger, has been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars set for Sunday, March 10. The film is based on the graphic novel by Sara Varon.

Paul Rivoche, a longtime Beach resident and veteran freelance animation designer, played a crucial role in bringing the film to life.

Reached out to by Jose Luis Agrada, the art director for Robot Dreams, Rivoche joined the project remotely from Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rivoche’s task was to create the backgrounds for the film, envisioned by Berger as a “love letter to New York City.”

Drawing on his experience and attention to detail, Rivoche immersed himself in research to capture the city’s essence in the 1980s.

His creative decisions helped set the stage for the film’s heartwarming and bittersweet story.

In discussing his involvement in the project, Rivoche said he was excited by the challenge of using classic cartoon style to convey adult themes such as love and loss.

“What got me excited about the project was the challenge. When they (the Robot Dreams team) gave me the plot and creative outline, I saw this task of using such classic cartoon style to tell this very heartfelt, emotional story about adult themes like love and loss,” said Rivoche.

He also acknowledged the frustration felt by many fans unable to access the film online, and said he hoped that it will become more widely available after the Academy Awards presentation.

“I know a lot of people have expressed frustration about not being able to watch the film online. I don’t know the strategy behind not releasing it, but I hope after the Oscars it will become more available because it really is a great film,” said Rivoche.

Robot Dreams, directed by Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger, has been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards set for Sunday, March 10.

“We did it kind of old school,” he said of Robot Dreams, referring to the film’s 2D animation style.

“Like the prior-3D technology, which is simple 2D animation, it means it’s not created with dimensional space; it’s created with flat drawings based off of the graphic novel by Sara Varon,” explained Rivoche.

Drawing inspiration from his own community, Rivoche said that like many creative local residents he finds artistic fuel in the Beach area’s landmarks such as the iconic R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, the Boardwalk, and the vibrant businesses.