By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Anca Damian
Starring: Bruno Salomone | izzie Brocheré | Maïra Schmitt | Nathalie Boutefeu | Shirelle Mai-Yvart | Thierry Hancisse
Original language title: L'extraordinaire voyage de Marona
Country: belgium, france, romania
Year: 2020
Running time: 92
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6785292/reference
Toni says: “This is a haunting, animated, surreal take on a dog’s life, with the backdrop of sometimes loving, sometimes abusive homes over the years. This would be great for Buried Treasure, as it was a bit more obscure but also has a great use of music and design style/imagery and editing for the interweaving segments representing the past homes of Marona. I give MFT 5 cats for its portrayal of a dog’s bittersweet and sometimes tragic life as a true gem in animated storytelling.”
Michael says: “Romanian director Anca Damian sets her latest film, a simple tale of a dog’s life in Paris, in a world of surreal animation. Our heroine, Marona, remembers her life and all the different names she has had and the humans she has loved in a city and its inhabitants rendered with such vivid imagination as to make YELLOW SUBMARINE look like Disney. The story is simple and heart felt, a gentle homage to a dog’s life. Marona (formerly Nine, Anna, and Sarah) explains in her narration how a dog loves, and the hard choices she is forced to either make or live with. There are fourteen different animators listed in the credits, and they certainly worked hard to create a film that is as unique as it is beautiful (and sometimes, perhaps unintentionally, disturbing). Nominated for Buried Treasure, I appreciate the recognition of such a boldly visual film. 3 1/2 cats”
Katherine says: “I absolutely loved the film! Can’t make the discussion, but it works on so many levels —race, gender, love, life, death—and then the artistry is amazing. The notion of three different artists was a great choice.”