Tainá: Uma Aventura na Amazônia

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.