Who directed Waking Life and when was it released?
Waking Life was written and directed by Richard Linklater. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2001 and received a limited release in the United States on the 19th of October 2001.
Questions about Waking Life
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What animation technique was used to make Waking Life?
Waking Life was made using rotoscoping, in which animators overlay drawn animation over live-action footage. The process relied on a program called Rotoshop, designed specifically for the production by Bob Sabiston and run on Apple Macintosh computers.
What philosophical themes does Waking Life explore?
Waking Life explores the nature of reality, dreams and lucid dreams, consciousness, free will, existentialism, and the meaning of life. The film also touches on metaphysics, social philosophy, situationist politics, posthumanity, and the film theory of Andre Bazin.
Who are the main cast members of Waking Life?
Wiley Wiggins plays the unnamed protagonist. The film also features Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprising their Before Sunrise characters Jesse and Celine, as well as appearances from Timothy Speed Levitch, Adam Goldberg, Steven Soderbergh, Alex Jones, and Richard Linklater himself, among others.
How was Waking Life received by critics?
Waking Life received critical acclaim, earning an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it four stars out of four and later added it to his list of Great Movies.
What awards did Waking Life win?
Waking Life won the National Society of Film Critics award for Best Experimental Film, the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Animated Film, and the CinemAvvenire award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Venice Golden Lion and appeared on the AFI's 10 Top 10 list in 2008.