0German version here.
It's my third film at this year's Berlinale. For the third time, it's about loss. While Zeevonk dealt mainly with grief after an abrupt death, A Greyhound of a Girl by Enzo d'Alò prepares us to say goodbye.
Mary O'Hara and her grandmother are as thick as thieves. They go on adventures together, have their secrets as a duo, and most importantly, bond over their love of cooking. When Mary's grandma suddenly becomes very ill, Mary finds it hard to face the thought of saying goodbye. But she is not alone on this journey. Mary's great-grandmother Anastasia joins the O'Hara women as a ghost to prepare them all for this next step.
Despite the difficult issue, A Greyhound of a Girl is a sweet-as-sugar film. The lovely animation supports the playful atmosphere. We are at 12-year-old Mary's eye level and experience the situation through her eyes. Mary already knows what the word dying means, but it's hard for her to connect this concept with her grandma, to be so close to it for the first time.
Tactfully and charmingly, A Greyhound of a Girl manages to introduce the young audience to the subject of death. To explain what it means for someone to leave us forever. And most importantly, that death is part of life.
The original novel by Roddy Doyle will most likely have done some good work in preparation for this. Accompanied by music by David Rhodes that "hopefully sounds Irish" (quote David Rhodes), the gorgeous animation by Iulian Grigoriu, and four strong female protagonists who all have a mind of their own, but are that much stronger together in the end, A Greyhound of a Girl becomes a film for the whole family - despite the subject matter. There should be some time for questions afterwards for the younger viewers, if this is the first time a child has been exposed to death so extensively. Above all, however, the film might be insanely helpful in preparing children for something for which one might often lack the words oneself, but which no one will be spared in the long run. Highly recommended!
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