** Rhode Island Premiere **
From the director of one of the first PCFF films ever brought to Providence (Academy Award-nominated THE SECRET OF KELLS), this film is a captivating animated adventure inspired by the ancient Irish legend of the selkies, magical beings who live as seals in the water and as humans on land. A young brother and sister must unlock the magical secrets of their ancestry in order to find their way home.
Director Tomm Moore’s follow-up to the Oscar-nominated THE SECRET OF KELLS is a beautiful and seamlessly crafted animated feature. A similarly haunting score matches haunting visuals. The fluid animation is emphasized by striking watercolor backgrounds that enable the beautifully realized hand-drawn characters to pop from the screen. The variety of the textures, shadows and forms that appear on screen is entrancing. Much like Kells, Moore’s second feature reinforces or underscores his reputation as a champion of Irish culture, language and mythology. While it’s a children’s film first and foremost, it will also delight adults and animation lovers alike. The predominant themes of loss and love in writer William Collins’ story are joined by several particularly interesting metaphors, including the importance of the perpetuation of Irish language, culture and mythology. SONG OF THE SEA is a touching story of loss on a multitude of levels; the loss of innocence, the loss of a loved one, and the loss of a rich and deep culture that the film ultimately celebrates.
Created from a long-running Dutch comic strip, Pim & Pom are two adorable cats that love getting into mischief. When their doting owner invites her two nieces for a visit, little do Pim & Pom expect that the girls have in mind a different kind of “cat-napping” than they are used to. Will Pim & Pom find their way back to their beloved owner? The musical score and creative animation style make this film one of a kind.
Still mourning the death of his mother, gentle nine-year-old Finn also has to struggle with his father’s insistence that he play soccer. When Finn meets a mysterious old man playing a violin at an abandoned farm, the beauty of the music entrances him. Determined to learn how to play, he sneaks away for lessons. Finding comfort and strength in the music, Finn seems to have found his calling…and much more. Pay attention! There are twists in this story that will make you want to see it twice!
Esta película de animación sin palabras, evocadora y original sigue a Cuca, un niño brasileño que se aventura desde su sencillo hogar en el campo hasta una metrópolis carnavalesca llena de neón en busca de su padre. Es un festín audiovisual. Cuando aparezcan los títulos de crédito, es muy probable que tu interpretación de la película sea distinta de la de los demás, ¡pero qué pasada!
Abra sus sentidos a una película de animación refrescantemente original y singularmente visual del artista brasileño Alê Abreu. Empleando desde mosaicos hasta acuarelas, la película desborda deleite, explotando con colores vibrantes y ritmos de samba/hip hop. La historia se centra en Cuca, un niño que crece en el campo brasileño con su familia. Un día, su padre se marcha a trabajar a la ciudad, lo que lleva a Cuca a poner rumbo a la metrópoli, decidido a reunir a su familia. La animación comienza de forma sencilla, pero a medida que Cuca se adentra en el mundo, el estilo visual adquiere una mayor complejidad, creando finalmente un paisaje urbano impregnado de neón con una variedad de extraños personajes nunca vistos. La historia, aparentemente sencilla, revela una serie de conflictos entre el campo y la ciudad, la pobreza y la riqueza, lo hecho a mano y la maquinaria, de tal manera que públicos de todas las edades experimentarán la misma narrativa en diferentes niveles. La película de Abreu es cautivadora, y mantendrá la atención del espectador durante toda su duración, sin apenas diálogos, hasta su sorprendente y emotivo final.
Many films have been made about kids going to extraordinary lengths to avoid school. This stunningly shot documentary (Cesar Award Winner 2014) captures the stories of four children (Kenya, Patagonia, Morocco and India) and their herculean efforts to get TO school. Instinctively, they know that their well-being, and in many ways survival, depend on knowledge and education. This is a film parents might cite the next time their children complain about getting up for school on a Monday morning.
Jackson crosses the Kenyan savannah on foot, heeding his father’s advice, “If the elephants see you, they will kill you! Run away!”; Carlito rides horseback across rocky, scrub-covered plains and rushing rivers; Zahira treks over treacherous Atlas Mountain passes in Morocco with her classmates supporting one another; Samuel depends on his brothers to push his wheelchair over sand dunes and through swamps of southern Bengal. While the breathtaking cinematography reveals the splendor of their homelands, the dangers of these voyages keep you on the edge of your seat. At the heart of this unforgettable film are the children’s resilience and their unstoppable yearning to learn and improve their lives.
GET LOCAL: Family Services Rhode Island: The Walking School Bus
Family Service of Rhode Island’s Walking School Bus provides routes to and from school. The initiative ensures that each child living within a mile of the school, who needs to walk arrives on time and returns home safely, even when a family member is unable to walk with him or her. The Walking School Bus serves Bailey and Fogarty elementary schools in Providence’s South Side neighborhood.To learn more about this program and/or to become a volunteer, click aquí.