A GREYHOUND OF A GIRL
Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, Germany, UK, Estonia, Latvia
2023, 35mm, color, 80’
TRIBUTE
Enzo d'Alò
Direction: Enzo d’Alò
Screenplay: Enzo d’Alo, David Ingham from the novel La gita di mezzanotte by Roddy Doyle
Animation direction: Iulian Grigoriu
Character design: Peter De Sève
Editing: Gianluca Cristofari
Set design: Thomas Von Kummant
Music: David Rhodes
Voice cast: Charlotte Infussi D’Amico (Mary), Maria Pia Di Meo (grandmother Emer), Valentina Favazza (Tansey), Maricla Affatato (Scarlett), Franco Mannella (Paddy), Oreste Baldini (dr. Patel)
Producers: Adrien Chef, Paul Thiltges, Xenia Douglas, Mark Cumberton, Richard Gordon, Vilnis Kalnaellis, Riina Sildos, Guy Collins, Artur Kubiczek
Production: Paul Thiltges Distributions, Aliante, Jam Media, GOAG Productions, Rija Films, Amrion Production, Fish Blowing Bubbles
Eleven-year-old Mary is rebellious but sincere and yearns to gain admission to a prestigious culinary academy to become a great chef—a dream her parents do not approve of, but one that is nonetheless encouraged by her grandmother Emer, to whom she is very close. After accompanying Mary to her entrance exams, however, Emer falls ill and is hospitalized. Determined to cook dishes that will help her grandmother get better, Mary seeks inspiration from the family’s old recipe book. She is assisted by a mysterious girl named Tansey, who turns out to be the spirit of her great-grandmother, who died young during the Great Flu and has now returned toaccompany Emer on her final journey.
“A fable about time, but above all about the time we have left to live—a time that must be embraced and savored every second so thatwe are left with no regrets. Written by the director together with Dave Ingham, Mary and the Midnight Spirit alternates between moretraditional animation and experimental styles, featuring black-and-white images of sketches and ghosts, as the film focuses on snippets of Mary’s life. The cartoon succeeds in portraying loss with grace, emphasizing above all the exhilaration of what remains to be lived out. It features moments of silent-film comedy (the pie in the policeman’s face, Mary’s redemption during cooking class) while striking the correct balance between fairy tale, comedy, and drama."
(Simone Emiliani, Sentieri Selvaggi, 23 November 2023)
2023 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival - Animation Jury Award
2023 El Gouna Film Festival - Silver Star