Trento, Italy, World War II. Mila, a little girl, rides a Carousel horse with her mother. Allied war planes start the bombing campaign of the city, and her mom dies in the carnage. A woman randomly saves Mila and takes her in at her home. The two stay over the night, and the woman repairs Mila's hat and plays with her. The next day, the two go out, and peace returns to the city.
A gentle, emotional and melancholic animated short film, based on a true story, "Mila" explores the effects of war on kids, in this case the title heroine who becomes an orphan in World War II. The director Cinzia Angelini chooses a story without any dialogue, relying instead only on a visual depiction of events, small gestures and symbols to tell the tale. A somewhat too austere, too straight-forward depiction of this simple story, which needed more inspiration or finesse, "Mila" is still undoubtedly a good film, where some of the crucial moments appear so subtly the viewers might miss them if they blink. For instance, the death of Mila's mom on the Carousel after the bombing is never depicted directly, and she can only be seen lying on the side for a couple of seconds. In another, the woman who adopts Mila repairs the little girl's hat, as to keep the last memory of her life before the bombing for her. An easily accessible, but also demanding and ambitious little film, "Mila" is a compact, but touching tale.
Grade:++
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