In a small and poor village in the interior of Brazil, a girl is born with a special gift that brings happiness to everyone. But when she grows, it ends up bringing problems for many. A film adapted from the award-winning book "Ela tem olhos de céu" by Socorro Acioli. From Brazil.

Juror comments: The Brazilian animated short, Sebastiana, is an adaptation of a children’s book, Ela Tem Olhos de Céu by Socorro Acioli, and is adorable. There is no narrative, but there is lots of crying and for good reason. Sebastiana is a little baby girl who has “Eyes of the Sky” (loose translation) and whenever she cries, it rains!

Sebastiana takes a minute or two to understand because it is based on a folk tale from northern Brazil and reflects the lifestyle of that area. In the little village setting, the dry climate makes farming a tough task and there is a lot of poverty. The church plays its part in maintaining religious values and is the antagonist in this story. Sebastiana’s gift is making the sky rain when she cries, which makes it hard on her family because now their gardens have too much rain (you know how often babies cry) and the church thinks she is cursed.

I love the animation in this film. It is brightly colored and portrays both the characters and their surrounding with a light touch. The background music takes its melodies from the folk tales of northern Brazil and is married to the animation in a most interesting way. Using native instruments – strings, accordion, keyboards, and guitars – and “mickey mousing” the movements of the colorful two-dimensional animation make the flow seamless. Director Claudio Martins must have a big heart because all the children in this film are loving and so sweet.

The message of Sebastiana is that sometimes our gifts are also our drawbacks, but in the long run, things balance out as long as we love and are loved!

I give Sebastiana 4 stars out of 5 and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. By Nancy K., KIDS FIRST!