Rosa lives in the big city, working her big job, overworking herself. When her grandfather passes away leaving her the house she grew up in, she heads out to the countryside and starts work on the house, the property, and herself.
From director Nuno Beato, this film starts off as a modern animation film with many winks and nods to the current hustle culture and the ways of many people to be overworked to achieve unobtainable standards, a certain snapshot of many people’s lives. After the grandfather’s death, when Rosa heads to the countryside, the film switches over to stop-motion animation which shows a slowing of pace, a return to the past, a return to the roots of the character. The film mixes those two styles and a few others here and there to create specific atmospheres and moods for each part of the film, something that brings up a great result overall. The film is stunning, the mix of styles is fantastic, and the story is touching.
The stop-motion animation here is the main appeal of the film, the way it’s done is stunning and whimsical at once, it’s something that sets the film aside from most other films with similar stories of “going home”. The animation team here, may it be 2D animation or stop-motion animation, did amazing work. This is the kind of work that deserves to be seen. The story and characters almost feel like they are secondary to the animation, only there to showcase the talent of this team.
However, the characters are also well-written, along with the story, and well-voiced. In particular, the voice work by Victoria Guerra as Rosa is fantastic. She emotes so well simply through her voice, bringing this character to life fully. Her work really creates a fully fleshed character. Another voice actor that needs noted is Martim Carvalho Balsa as Chico. This is the right kind of way to play this character, charming, adorable at times, curious, and full of energy. This character is a great balance for Rosa and really helps the mood throughout the film.
Overall, My Grandfather’s Demons is a great film about going back to your roots, finding out more about yourself, learning to heal the past, and learning to grow. The film is so incredibly well-made that is should become a staple of animation, particularly for stop-motion animation. This is the kind of film that brings the inner child out, but doesn’t infantilize its public.
Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 runs from July 14th to August 3rd, 2022