I just saw Taina as part of the NY Intl Children's Film Festival, and very much enjoyed it.
The story itself poachers stealing endangered species from the Amazon, and little Taina foiling their efforts wasn't earth shattering, but the film was fascinating for several reasons. The setting and cinematography were stunning. The animals were profoundly beautiful and expressive. Eight year old Eunice Baia's performance was a model of restraint, in marked contrast to nearly every other character in the film. I think kids must naturally like `animated' characters, whether in real life, live action or animated films -- certainly the kids in the audience liked these villains. TAINA was refreshing, beautiful, and fun. I met several of the filmmakers and Taina herself. As you can imagine, filming for over 100 days on the Amazon where it rains every single day with a crew exceeding 100 had its share of challenges. Eunice Baia grew up on the Amazon, and apparently until she got involved with Taina, had never been to a movie theater in her life. Highly recommended.
The story itself poachers stealing endangered species from the Amazon, and little Taina foiling their efforts wasn't earth shattering, but the film was fascinating for several reasons. The setting and cinematography were stunning. The animals were profoundly beautiful and expressive. Eight year old Eunice Baia's performance was a model of restraint, in marked contrast to nearly every other character in the film. I think kids must naturally like `animated' characters, whether in real life, live action or animated films -- certainly the kids in the audience liked these villains. TAINA was refreshing, beautiful, and fun. I met several of the filmmakers and Taina herself. As you can imagine, filming for over 100 days on the Amazon where it rains every single day with a crew exceeding 100 had its share of challenges. Eunice Baia grew up on the Amazon, and apparently until she got involved with Taina, had never been to a movie theater in her life. Highly recommended.