The second feature from acclaimed animator Jacques-Rémy Girerd follows a young girl whose fantastical journey to rescue her father leads to an encounter with an unusual creature called Migou. Yet Mia et le Migou pushes beyond pure fantasy to address the more sobering issues of environmental damage, the mistreatment of workers and the adverse consequences of greed.
Mia's father, Pedro, is a labourer building a luxury resort on a remote tropical lake. Mysterious problems have beset the project, however, and when a landslide buries Pedro in a tunnel, Mia undertakes a long and risky expedition to find her dad. On her way through a dangerous jungle, she meets the Migou – first one, then many – strange, identical creatures that take multiple forms, ranging from small childlike beings to petulant giants. The Migou protect a sacred tree that is the key to all life on earth. To keep the tree safe, the Migou have been disrupting the development of the site.
Meanwhile, Pedro's boss, an unscrupulous resort developer, has travelled to the island with his son Aldrin. Aldrin is disillusioned with everything his father stands for, and when he meets Mia, he agrees to help her in her quest to find her missing father and protect the sacred tree. But it may be too late: Aldrin's father is determined to destroy the tree and the Migou in order to finish building his resort.
Girerd brings the story to life with exquisite hand-drawn animation that evokes both pastel work and watercolour painting styles. Within this richly textured world are two brave children, Mia and Aldrin, whose depth of character illustrates the value of independent thought and the importance of cooperation; the Migou, meanwhile, is one of the most uniquely imaginative creatures to appear onscreen (and is excellently voiced by actor and comedian Dany Boon). With its wonderful characters and coloured in inviting hues, Mia et le Migou is a magical and heart-warming journey filled with unexpected twists and turns that opens up topical issues for children and adults to explore together.
Sprockets Family Zone films are intended for families. This film is appropriate for children ages 9 and up.
Allen Braude
Jacques-Rémy Girerd has written and directed the animated shorts Amerlock (88) and L'Enfant au grelot (98), and the animated features La Prophétie des grenouilles (03) and Mia et le Migou (08).