Featuring stunningly surreal creatures and wondrously bizarre environments designed by renowned comic-book artist Caza, Gandahar is a visceral, visionary head-trip in which animation opens a gateway to the furthest reaches of the imagination. The film by alternative-animation pioneer René Laloux, was produced in 1987 – and was previously released in the US (under the title “Light Years”) by Miramax in 1988 (with an edited English dub starring Glenn Close, Brigit Fonda, Christopher Plummer and Jennifer Grey).

Janus Releasing will commence an official US release of the original uncut version, in its original French language, on August 28th at NY’s IFC Center – and will expand the release nationally after. Here is the trailer – and the new poster is below.

An entire civilization must confront its destiny in alternative-animation pioneer René Laloux’s final feature, a cult classic of mind-bending science fiction. In a distant world, a merciless army of automata attacks Gandahar, turning its peace-loving people to stone. Hoping to discover the source of these Men of Metal, a council of matriarchs enlists the brave yet inexperienced warrior Sylvain (Pierre-Marie Escourro), who, while journeying through his planet’s outer regions, teams up with the Deformed, a race cast out from Gandahar after failed science experiments rendered them mutants. Soon, Sylvain learns that a gargantuan brain called Metamorphis (Georges Wilson) is responsible for his utopian society’s strife and—together with the beautiful Airelle (Catherine Chevallier)—travels through time to defeat him, in the process risking their lives and Gandahar’s very existence.