Movie: AINBO – Spirit of the Amazon (2021)

Festival Release: Imagina Film Festival of Animation 9 Feb 2021 (Peru)
Public Release: 28 May 2021
Written by José Zelada and Brian Cleveland
Directed by José Zelada and Richard Claus
Starring Lola Raie, Naomi Serrano, Dino Andrade, Bernardo De Paula
Distribution: Cinema Management Group | Produced by Tunche Films and Cool Beans

A Surprise Discovery

Movie nights don’t always go as planned. Me and some friends had one movie in mind but for different reasons it didn’t work out this time. Instead we landed on AINBO: Spirit of the Amazon almost at random. None of us were thrilled but we hit play anyway.

 

We watched the Swedish version on DVD, released by Noble Entertainment and for some reason the original English dub wasn’t included. While the film still worked, we all agreed it would have had a completely different feeling in its original language. Some of the nuances, humor and emotional beats were probably lost or softened, which may made certain scenes feel less impactful than they might have in the original version.

At first it felt like a patchwork of Disney influences: a girl called to go beyond her village (Moana), lead talking to a tree (Pocahontas), plus two goofy spirit guides (The Lion King´s Timon and Pumbaa). We thought we knew exactly where it was going.   

 A very pretty concept art photo of a scene.

Then the film shifted. Suddenly it wasn’t just a fantasy adventure. It became a story about the destruction of the Amazon rain forest and the fight of indigenous people to protect their home. That twist turned the film into something much more powerful.

At first the animation style didn’t grab me. It felt a bit rough compared to big-budget films. But as the movie went on, the characters grew on me, especially Ainbo. Her expressions, movements and energy started to feel natural and charming. The supporting characters and spirit guides also gained personality as the story progressed. By the end, the style felt warm and fitting for the story, matching the heart and passion behind the film.  

 

It was also interesting that the spirit guides were not random animals. Ainbo is guided by Dillo the armadillo and Vaca the tapir, both species found in the Amazon rain forest. This choice makes the magical elements feel connected to the real forest it represents. 

The directors José and César Zelada were inspired by their mother and her hometown in the Peruvian Amazon. Knowing this the passion in the film makes sense. It is rooted in real love for land, culture and people.

The Scary Reality Behind the Story

The Amazon is often called “the lungs of the Earth.” Yet millions of trees are cut down every single day for logging, mining or cattle ranching. In the last 50 years almost 20% of the forest has been destroyed. Scientists warn that if this continues the rain forest could collapse in our lifetime. It would turn into dry savanna, release enormous amounts of carbon and speed up climate change worldwide.

 

 

 

 

AINBO uses myth and magic to tell its story but the real story is already terrifying. The Amazon is burning, it is falling and once it’s gone, there is no bringing it back. That is the message at the heart of this movie. 

8/10 for bringing an alarming topic forward while still telling a good story.

Article written by: Sonny Mikszath

Movie: Poupée de nuit (Night Doll) – (2025)

Release Date: March 1, 2025 (Germany)
Written by: Cosmotropia de Xam & Violette de Lestrange
Directed by: Cosmotropia de Xam
Starring: Violette de Lestrange & Gaspard le Ténébraire
Distributed by: Mater Suspiria Vision and Phantasma Disques

 

 

 In the world of cinema, some connections take years to cultivate. That’s exactly how I came to find the movie Poupée de Nuit. It all started back in 2018 when I stumbled upon Samuel Müller’s posts showcasing old-school formats, new releases on Betamax and other retro mediums. His passion for unconventional film formats immediately grabbed my attention, I reached out to him. What followed was the beginning of a dialogue that would span years and result in some truly unique cinematic experiences.

The first of these was Flesh In The Machine (2018), a limited Betamax release under his company’s banner. Here in Sweden, I run a movie club, and we decided to give it a watch. It was surreal, disorienting, and deeply artistic. The experience sparked a meaningful conversation among my fellow movie buffs.

 

 

Picture taking from a old unboxing video I did – check it out here if you like YouTube 

Our exchanges continued over the years and in 2021, Samuel introduced me to The Inferno Index (2021), which was released on limited-edition VHS through Mater Suspiria Vision and Phantasma Disques. The retro VHS packaging instantly brought me back to the golden age of physical media, and once again, the film, directed by Cosmotropia de Xam, didn’t disappoint. It continued the legacy of pushing boundaries and experimenting with both format and storytelling. 

 

Present time, just a few weeks ago, Samuel shared an exciting new project: Poupée de Nuit (Night Doll). The striking poster immediately drew me in. Graciously, he offered me access to a digital version of the film for review and here we are, ready to delve into this dream!

From the moment the French voiceover begins, the film establishes a sense of elegance and mystery. The female voice recites, “I am Unica, poetess of shattered dreams and fragments of reflections,” and we are drawn into a world that’s both fragile and intense. Whether Unica is the character’s name or a poetic persona remains unclear, but it doesn’t matter, the words are more about atmosphere than clarity. There’s a sense of someone unraveling, trying to make sense of their fractured world.

Visually, the film presents itself in stunning black and white. The haunting imagery of old buildings, churches, and graveyards adds to the dreamlike quality, while evoking a timeless atmosphere. It’s a setting that feels both familiar and eerie, where the past and present collide in a haze of surrealism. At times, the visuals evoke a felling of a fever dream, an unsettling place where reality and fantasy blur.

It’s hard not to draw comparisons to the works of Jean Rollin, especially with the inclusion of a beautiful, ethereal vampire and dark, gothic imagery. But Poupée de Nuit has its own unique flavor. The film blends surrealism, nudity, and a certain artistic perversity to craft an experience that is both visually striking and emotionally disorienting. The dreamlike sequences are punctuated with scenes of quiet melancholy, leaving you with an impression that lingers long after the film ends.

Much like other art films, Poupée de Nuit can be difficult to grasp. The narrative isn’t linear, and the structure is unconventional, yet there’s a certain thread that runs through the chaos. While the other films I’ve seen from this Director have felt more chaotic and random in their imagery, this one feels more structured. Though still shrouded in ambiguity. It’s as though the film is telling a story, but not in a traditional sense. It’s more about evoking a feeling, a mood, than offering clear answers.

Watching the film in one go can be heavy. The best way to experience Poupée de Nuit is to simply relax, let go, and allow the film to wash over you. Let the images, sounds, and emotions unfold without trying to control the experience. The film doesn’t demand that you understand it all, it asks that you feel it.

There are moments of pure cinematic beauty, like the scene where the lead character is wrapped in film, possibly 16mm. It’s a powerful moment, a symbol of the film’s dedication to the medium itself. The use of film roll, both as a narrative device and an aesthetic choice, is a striking piece of art in and of itself.

Overall, Poupée de Nuit is a film that embraces its art-house roots fully. It is, without a doubt, an art film that should be viewed through that lens. It may not be for everyone, and that’s perfectly fine. The film’s strength lies in its ability to provoke thought and emotion through its unconventional storytelling and visual style.

I give it a strong 6/10 while it’s not a film to watch casually, it certainly succeeds in its purpose of evoking powerful imagery and emotional responses. It’s an exploration of beauty, dread, and despair, wrapped in a dreamlike atmosphere that only art films can achieve.

Here are some links to check out:
Phantasma Disques Homepage
Facebook Page

Article written by: Sonny Mikszath