Back in 2100, the Earth was conquered and its population forced into slavery. All enslaved people must play Battledream, a video game where the penalty for losing is death. Only those who earn enough points have the right to live until the following month’s tournament.

Syanna, a young Martinican slave, refuses to continue living under these conditions and decides to fight for her freedom.

In this beautifully animated feature Bidard explores the relationship between dominators and the dominated and implicitly critiques colonial exploitation.

What is refreshing about this ‘Martinican Manga’ are the female lead characters, unusually well-delineated, passing both the Bechdel Test and any BAME version of it.

As globalisation fails to bring about ‘one world’, but rather increases nationalism and isolationism, this superb film offers a window on a possible future – a world in which we have little control over our own destiny.