- published: 15 Jan 2009
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Renaissance is a 2006 French black-and-white animated science fiction 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.
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.
Jonas Muller had been working to cure progeria, which his brother was suffering from. Muller worked for Avalon as their top scientist but left after he failed to cure his brother. He took up new work at a free clinic. After Karas probes Jonas he finds that "No one ever leaves Avalon", throwing the corporation under suspicion. Karas leaves to visit one of Avalon's CEOs and questions him about Ilona's disappearance, suggesting that he may have been sleeping with her, to which the CEO replies "I sleep with my wife, I sleep with my secretary, I even sleep with my sister-in-law but I would never sleep with one of my researchers".