Director: Imonal Uribe
Fans of The Secret Garden will feel instantly at home in this wonderful Spanish film, which finds Carol, (a twelve year old from New York City) moving back to her mother’s native Spain amidst the chaos of the country’s civil war in 1938. Exquisitely shot and told with a delicate simplicity taking into account the age of our heroine, the film is at once old-fashioned (Carol herself seems to dress and act like an homage to Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird) yet refreshing and urgent. While those without a better grasp on the political history of the era may be a tad confused by the goings on, stay with the film as Carol’s Journey is well-worth taking indeed as she experiences tragedy, first love and friendship while coming of age during such an intense period of last century’s history. The film, released in a gorgeous DVD transfer from filmmovement.com may provide young teens with the perfect opportunity to become introduced to international cinema.