(Spanish: Psiconautas, los niños olvidados ) is a 2015 Spanish animated horror-drama film directed by Alberto Vázquez and Pedro Rivero . Based on Vázquez's graphic novel Psiconautas , it expanded on their 2011 short film, Birdboy . The film is celebrated for its unique "tragic-tainment" style, contrasting "cute" anthropomorphic characters with a grim, post-apocalyptic reality. Plot and Themes
: It is rated R due to its disturbing imagery and mature content, despite its storybook aesthetic.
The story is set on an island devastated by a massive industrial accident years prior.
: Birdboy , a young bird haunted by inner demons and addicted to drugs, hides in a secret garden to avoid the island's violent, rifle-toting police force.
The 2017 Animated Contenders: "Birdboy - The Film Experience
: A young mouse named Dinky and her friends attempt to escape the island's suffocating atmosphere and her abusive home life.
: It won Best Animated Feature at the 2016 Goya Awards and was an official selection at festivals like Annecy and BFI London .