Chimney Town : Frozen in Time (2026) Berlin 2026

Fluff and Lubicchi

Before I start really talking about the film itself, I want to say that while you do not need to see POUPELLE OF CHIMNEY TOWN in order to enjoy this sequel, doing so will make this sequel hit harder. The film gives us the back story of Lubicchi and it informs his mental state. While you will get enough to understand and you will feel some emotion, you will get kicked in the heart by what happens if you see the first film.

In this film Lubicchi is still mourning the loss of his friend Poupllellle (a robot of sorts made of garbage).Despite his efforts to bring him back, nothing has worked. When a mouse steals Poupelle's braclet bracelet, Lubicchi gives chase. He ends up falling into a fountain and ends up another world where the clocks of everyone’s lives are maintained. While the world deals with clocks, the clock that runs that world has stopped. Lubicchi is tasked with getting the clock restarted, something he must do if he wants to get home. Teamed with a surly cat he names Fluff, he sets out to find a way to restart the great clock.

CHIMNEY TOWN FROZEN IN TIME does everything that a great sequel should do. It expands the world and the characters of the first film, while marking out its own territory. This film expands our understanding by giving us one the great romances I’ve ever seen the one between Gus and Nagi. It doesn’t quite seem that way at first, but once the film finishes ordering all its ducks we find everything is so much greater. It’s a staggering achievement that film series rarely, if ever do, build a stronger series by giving us great new characters.

This film moved me to some where beyond tears. I felt deeply for all the characters all through the film and I was openly crying at the beauty of the images, the construction of the story and most importantly by the arc of the characters. These are real people doing real things, namely dealing with love and loss. It’s a magnificent examination of how we mourn the loss of those we love.  Its an examination the likes of which I’ve never seen in cinema before.

I was truly rocked.

I want to talk about everything here but I’m going to keep it down to just  a couple of things.

CHIMNEY TOWN‘s worlds are glorious. They are drawn in styule that frequently makes them look like they were created using pen and ink.While the various places and characters may look familiar there is something unique to them There is a real world heft to them. The characters are perfectly rendered. They are not animated characters but ones that mirror our friends and families.

The score is magnificent. It’s one of the best ones I’ve heard in years. And  the song that Nagi sings and haunts much of the film is simply the best film song that I’ve run across in at least a decade.

This film is just perfect or as close to it as to make nit picking moot. It is the height of what animation can do to the human soul.

One of the best films of 2026, CHIMNEY TOWN:FROZEN IN TIME is going to live in my heart forever.