Crumbs

Ethiopia's surreal landscapes provide the perfect backdrop for Spanish director Miguel Llansó's post-apocalyptic romance. Played by the mesmerizing Daniel Tadesse, our protagonist, Candy, spends his days waffling between daydreams and anxieties while collecting the bits and pieces of bygone societies, including Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan merchandise. These crumbs, having no pop-cultural reference after the fall of civilization, take on an air of the spiritual. When a spaceship that's been hovering on the horizon for years begins to show signs of activity, Candy must confront a new reality as well as run-ins with gas mask-wearing Nazis, witches, and Santa Claus. Llanso's highly inventive depiction of the future blends magic, religion, and history together with elements of science fiction, comedy, and the fairy tale. (Denver International Film Festival)