An ambitious, epic anthology film set in the African colonies in the nineteenth century, based on a collection of narratives in which personal journeys involving lost causes combine with the remains of colonialism. The broad, complex span of the story presented in these interlaced episodes is unusual both in animated and short films, but “Ce Magnifique Gâteau!” manages this exceptionally well. Five vignettes featuring the five main characters present different perspectives on the interlinked stories: a troubled king, a middle-aged pygmy who works in a luxury hotel, a failed businessman, a lost porter and a young deserter. The film, which was selected for the Cannes Festival, is the first by co-directors Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels to be screened at Curtas, although Roels’ solo fiction film “Mompelaar” was shown in 2007. (JA)