This just screened at SXSW and there were too many empty seats for this outstanding film.
It balances reverence and playfulness, and the essence of being a child who finds joy and magic in spirituality as much as it does the cultural conflicts within religion. The story literally brings to life the religions in question as well as extrapolating how a child processes myth and faith, especially from a very different culture, emphasizing what's alien, and what's similar, if not the same.
The direction and plot make the story accessible without dumbing itself down for the audience. It mixes languages and uses subtitles so the characters interact authentically in a household mixing immigration and acclimated generations.
It balances reverence and playfulness, and the essence of being a child who finds joy and magic in spirituality as much as it does the cultural conflicts within religion. The story literally brings to life the religions in question as well as extrapolating how a child processes myth and faith, especially from a very different culture, emphasizing what's alien, and what's similar, if not the same.
The direction and plot make the story accessible without dumbing itself down for the audience. It mixes languages and uses subtitles so the characters interact authentically in a household mixing immigration and acclimated generations.