Tuvalu (2001)

A small town indoor pool and the limitless mind of one of the pool employees make the setting for this stunning comedic fantasy. The pool is where local residents go to escape the daily grind and enter a fantastical dream world. Adrift in these daydreams, the Anton (Denis Lavant) finds Eva (Chulpan Hamatova), a beautiful woman who has the power to take this working class visionary into a strange, surreal world to live together in love.

With roots in the circus and with an incredibly imaginary point of view, TUVALU will gain German director Veit Helmer many comparisons to filmmakers such as Federico Fellini, Chuck Jones, Buster Keaton, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. This should not distract viewers from its highly original look and breathtaking scope. Filmed in both black and white and color with nearly no dialogue, Helmer's engaging love story is the director's feature debut after several successful shorts. The acrobatic and expressive Denis Lavant is a perfect daydreaming lead for this 2001 fable.