The NeverEnding Story

A powerful, magical and occasionally frightening tale of hope and faith in the face of impossible odds, this classic children’s film from 1984 was German director Wolfgang Petersen’s follow-up to Das Boot; the filmmaker has since gone on to have a prominent career in Hollywood. Based on Michael Ende’s German fantasy novel of the same name, and made on an enormous budget, The NeverEnding Story concerns Bastian (Barret Oliver), a young boy struggling to cope with the loss of his mother — and with his father’s painfully practical realism. A chance encounter one day leads Bastian to a mysterious bookstore, where he discovers a magical world inside a simple novel. Fantasy and reality become intertwined as a dark force called The Nothing threatens to destroy all that exists in Fantasia. Bastion’s brave alter-ego Atreyu is the only one who can save the world, battling through the Deadly Swamps of Sadness, flying with Falkor the Luck Dragon, and overcoming the soul-searching trials of the Southern Oracle. Beloved of children and grown-ups alike, The NeverEnding Story joins inspired favourites such as The Dark Crystal and other classic childrens’ films in reminding us all "that storytelling is a neverending act of the imagination" (Roger Ebert). Colour, 35mm, 94 mins.