- Title: Delta Space Mission
- IMDb: link
The trippy 80s film, Delta Space Mission, was the first Romanian animated film. Certainly a product of its time, you can feel the film from directors Calin Cazan and Mircea Toia drawing on pop culture of the time to create this journey into the far future where the universe’s most powerful artificial intelligence, created to communicate with intergalactic civilizations, does the unexpected and falls in love with an alien journalist.
With it’s electronic score and design inspired from video games and animation of the day, the 1984 film has been restored and is now available on VOD for American audiences. The story, whether pieces get lost in translation or if it simply jumps around a bit too much, does feel a bit choppy early on. However, Delta Space Mission is the kind of film you sit back and experience. Something of a time capsule, the movie harkens to both the future and our past.
The film makes the most of the visual medium, offering whatever odd space creatures and designs the creators could think up including our journalist’s odd dog-like pet whose ability to eat metal will play an important role in the plot. The story is far more simple and really just the excuse to push our journalist and the other space travelers through a variety of bizarre stream-of-consciousness situations. It’s not for everyone. Delta Space Force feels every bit the experimental film it was at the time and despite its narrative shortcomings, including an opening sequence that feels completely disconnected from the rest of the story, it is worth a look for those patient enough to enjoy its odd exploration in style.
Watch the trailer
