The Sommets du cinéma d’animation are pleased to announce the opening film of their 24th edition, which will be held from May 11 to 16 at the Cinémathèque québécoise. THE SQUARE, by South Korean director Kim Bo-sol, will kick off the festivities with its Canadian premiere on May 11. The film recently won the Feature Animation Grand Prize and the Governor of Tokyo Award at the prestigious Tokyo Anime Award Festival (TAAF), as well as the Contrechamp Jury Award at the latest edition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

THE SQUARE delves into the story of Isak Borg, First Secretary at the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang. Although he is a diplomat, he secretly sees Bok-joo, a local traffic officer. One day, after a suspicious man is spotted at their meeting place, Bok-joo disappears. As his departure date approaches, Borg sets out to find her and begins to suspect his interpreter, Lee Myeong-jun.

“Why would a Korean animated film remind us of Ingmar Bergman? For one thing, because the main character is named Isak Borg, like the elderly professor in Wild Strawberries. Then because Isak Borg works at the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, North Korea. And finally, because its director, Kim Bo-sol, succeeds in capturing the psychological complexity of two characters trapped in an oppressive reality,” emphasizes Marcel Jean, Executive Director of the Cinémathèque québécoise and Artistic Director of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Kim Bo-sol is from Seoul. He completed a bachelor's degree in fine arts at Hongik University, majoring in design and arts and minoring in art history and theory. He is also a graduate of the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). He directed the short films Strange Life (2016) and Home (2019). THE SQUARE is the filmmaker’s first feature film.

The film will be presented in its original version with French subtitles.
A second screening will take place on May 12 at 8:30 pm.

THE SOMMETS’ PASSEPORT
Film lovers can now purchase their 2026 Sommets’ passport at the Early Bird Rate. At just $55, this is THE best way to enjoy the festival! The passport is available at the Cinémathèque québécoise box office.

The 24th Sommets du cinéma d’animation will take place from May 11 to 16, 2026.
The full program will be announced on April 21.

The festival is produced by the Cinémathèque québécoise.