Renaissance (2006)

Renaissance is a 2006 black-and-white animated cyberpunk/science fiction detective film by French director Christian Volckman. It was co-produced in France, United Kingdom and Luxembourg and released on 15 March 2006 in France and 28 July 2006 in the UK by Miramax Films. Renaissance features a rare visual style in which almost all images are exclusively black and white, with only occasional colour used for detail.

Paris in the year 2054, where every deed and gesture is checked and filmed, Ilona Tasuiev, a young female scientist, is kidnapped. Avalon, the megalithic corporation for which Ilona works, puts pressure on Karas, a controversial policeman specialising in abductions, to find her as quickly as possible. But Karas soon feels a little presence in his wake.

He isn't alone in the quest for Ilona, and his pursuers seem poised to overtake him. Finding Ilona becomes vital: the brilliant young woman is involved in a conspiracy which is bigger than any imaginable. She holds the key to a secret that puts humanity's future in question: The Renaissance Protocol...

The film opens with scenes establishing the kidnapping of scientist Ilona Tastuiev, who works for the megacorporation Avalon. The focus transitions to Barthélémy Karas, a policeman, as he defuses a hostage situation by killing the hostage-takers. Karas is soon after charged with solving the mystery of the disappearance of Ilona. Karas begins by contacting Jonas Muller, a former Avalon scientist familiar with Ilona.

After following a series of dead leads, Karas find Illona's car being driven. After capturing the driver, Karas turns him over to Farfallah, a Islamic mobster, in return for footage of Illona's car initially being stolen by an incredibly old appearing man.

Karas turns to Illonas sister, who breaks into Avalons archives and finds the man she saw in Illona's journal, Dr. Nakata. Nakata and Muller both studied progeria, and were part of an Avalon project to cure it. After Dr. Mullers' brother died of progeria, he destroyed all the groups research, including killing the remaining child patients.

Karas eventually finds Dr. Nakata, who reveals that Avalon cared little about the cure of the actual disease. By curing progeria, they would effectively create clinical immortality.

The producers used motion capture and computer graphics to create the film's unique look. The cast performed their scenes in motion-capture suits in front of a blue screen. Computer animators translated these animations to digital models used for the characters. The animated characters were placed in three-dimensional computer backdrops, with post-process effects added to achieve the film's final look.

In a similar way to Audi with its RSQ for I, Robot, French automaker Citroën designed a car specially for the film, imagining what a Citroën might look like in 2054.

The film cost 14 million € to make over six years. It was funded by Disney with 3 million USD provided from Miramax.

The voices are provided by Daniel Craig, Catherine McCormack, Jonathan Pryce and Ian Holm among others.