A large, mysterious and ‘magical’ tree appears in the opening titles. Mia is a 10-year-old girl who has lost her mother. Pedro, her father, works on an enormous construction site in the middle of the jungle. One night the little girl senses that her father is in danger (he has been buried by a mudslide in a tunnel while he was trying to identify the origin of some strange noises). She decides to set off alone on a long and difficult journey to find him. She thinks her good-luck charms – a die, a feather and a snail shell – will be enough to protect her. The construction site where Pedro works is located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, a natural paradise which Jekhide, an unscrupulous developer, wants to turn into a luxurious hotel complex. Protecting the forest, however, are the Migoos, funny characters with magical powers and entrusted with guarding a majestic tree planted upside-down, which is the heart of the entire planet. Accompanied by Aldrin, Jekhide's son, Mia sets off in search of her father, exploring the beauty of a still-unspoiled nature and culture. The end of the story – obviously a happy one, like any self-respecting children's tale – gives the audience a little hope, but without neglecting to remind them how risky it is to keep their hands in their pockets for much longer. The invitation to the viewer, child or adult as they may be, is to take concrete steps, because as the film's refrain goes: "There is a little Migoo inside of all of us". European Oscar 2009 for best animated film. |
