By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Dimensional animation goes Gothic in this landmark film.
Netflix has announced its acquisition of I AM FRANKELDA (SOY FRANKELDA), the first stop-motion feature produced in Mexico, and will give it global release this year. The movie, which had its North American premiere at last year’s Fantasia International Film festival and is currently up for the Annie Award for Best Independent Feature Film, was written, produced and directed by Arturo and Roy Ambriz. The brothers are protégés of Guillermo del Toro, who served as their creative guide on the project and says, “FRANKELDA is a landmark in Mexican stop-motion animation and a true triumph of vision, tenacity and love for the craft.”
The cast is headed by Mireya Mendoza, Arturo Mercado Jr. and Luis Leonardo Suarez. The synopsis: “In 19th-century Mexico, Frankelda is a gifted writer whose dark tales are ignored and dismissed. Forced to suppress her voice, she refuses to give up, even as many try to silence her. But when she is thrust into her subconscious, the very monsters she created come to life. Guided by Herneval, a tormented prince trapped between dreams and nightmares, she must restore balance between fiction and reality before both realms collapse. Meanwhile, the sinister writer Procustes and his conspirators plot to seize control. As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse. To rewrite their fate, she must confront a love that defies existence and reclaim her power as a storyteller—before dark forces consume her imagination and reveal horrors beyond her creation.” Check out a trailer for the movie below.
