In writer and director Ugo Bienvenu’s Arco, there exists not just one vision of the future, but two.

This stems partly from the narrative. The film divides its tale across two different eras, following a 10-year-old boy's inadvertent journey back in time from the year 2932 to our imminent future of 2075.

Additionally, it emerges from the events unfolding in those time frames. The child from that distant future inhabits a world devastated by climate disaster and rising waters, a setting — still strikingly beautiful, particularly due to Bienvenu's rich 2D animation — rendered largely unlivable.

While the near future he lands in is somewhat familiar, it is evidently at risk from impending alterations: A massive wildfire engulfs the outskirts of the village he stumbles into, as the locals do their best to avoid confronting it.

For Bienvenu and actress Natalie Portman — who co-produced and stars in the film — these two perspectives symbolize two phases of our potential future.

"To me it's inspiring. I created [Arco] to empower the new generation and encourage confidence in our spirits — our aspirations and our concepts," Bienvenu expressed in a conversation with CBC News. "Concepts may be small, but they possess great significance. I believe these are the only things that can rescue us."

When approaching the project, it was this element that initially drew Portman in. In Ugo's film, there exists both a bleak and a bright vision of our future, she noted — although neither is wholly optimistic or pessimistic.

"Because that's false; we can't predict what the future holds.... And [that means] rejecting a fatalistic outlook — whether that's hopeful, because optimism can also be somewhat deceptive. You can't simply say, 'Things will improve; don’t worry about it,'" she remarked.

"Having a fixed perception of the future is A) inaccurate, and B) renders you passive, leading you to think: 'There's nothing I can do to alter this.' I believe in Ugo's vision, there’s a genuine faith in imagination and human creativity to shape the future. That’s where we can place our expectations."

This inclination to suggest solutions without providing a definitive forecast has proven successful thus far; the film secured the award for best animated feature at the European Film Awards earlier this year and is nominated in the same category at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15.

However, for Bienvenu, achieving definitive success was never the goal.

"The film was about [how] sometimes losing is a form of winning," he stated.

"It's an old saying, but 'Ex falso verum sequitur,' which is a phrase from Greek or Roman philosophy. It means, 'From falsehood arises truth.' That idea resonated with me throughout the process. To me, Arco is somewhat of an embodiment of that."