In Lulina and the Moon, childhood is rendered not as a simple phase of life but as a universe of boundless imagination, where even the deapest fears take shape in the form of dragons on the Moon. The animated short, directed by Marcus Vinicius Vasconcelos and Alois Di Leo, charts the emotional journey of Lulina, a young girl whose creativity fuels her quest to draw on the white, infinite surface of the Moon. But the heart of the story lies not in her artistic aspirations but in the more intimate, universal conflict of growing up: the arrival of a new sibling, a disruption that rattles the very core of Lulina’s world. This seemingly small, yet profoundly formative, experience becomes the catalyst for a much longer journey, where her imagination serves as both a shelter and also as a means of understanding her emotions.
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While the film unfolds with the playfulness of a child’s dream, its roots lie deep within the cultural tapestry of Brazil’s Caiçara communities. These coastal fishing villages, rich in history and tradition, provide the film’s vibrant backdrop. The Caiçara’s Fandango music, their distinctive architecture, and a sense of community woven with spirituality all inform the visual and narrative landscape of the story. Lulina’s family, devoted faithful of Saint George, a Catholic figure revered in Afro-Brazilian
religions imbue the tale with an added layer of cultural significance. In this world, the Moon itself becomes a site of mythic potential, where Lulina’s fears—embodied by a dragon—are projected and transformed into something she can confront and understand.
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Vasconcelos, whose prior work on “The Boy and the World” earned widespread acclaim for its striking visual poetics, brings a similar sensibility to Lulina and the Moon, though this time with a more intimate and personal approach. The animation is intentionally designed to look as though it has sprung from Lulina’s own hand—her drawings, vibrant with childlike spontaneity, leap off the walls and into the world. The film’s aesthetic mimics the textures of childhood art, replete with the innocence of a crayon or a pencil sketch, despite being created in digital form. This visual language not only captures the fluidity and simplicity of a child’s perspective but also evokes the emotional intensity that marks the growing pains of youth. The story, while rooted in the specificity of a Brazilian cultural milieu, transcends national borders, offering a deeply human tale of love, fear, and identity. Vasconcelos describes how, from the outset, the intention was to tell a story that focuses on the inner world of a Black child—one that sidesteps the socio-political struggles often thrust upon such characters. Instead, Lulina’s story is one of ordinary childhood drama: the anxiety, confusion, and eventual acceptance that accompany the arrival of a sibling. In doing so, the film offers a rare opportunity for Black children to see themselves in a narrative that is both tender and triumphant—a narrative where their struggles are not defined by external societal forces but by the internal emotional conflicts that every child faces.
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Alois Di Leo, co-director and animator, brings his own distinct sensibility to the project. With a background that spans both Lima and São Paulo, Di Leo’s work has garnered international acclaim for its striking visual storytelling, including his short film “Caminho dos Gigantes”, which won multiple awards at major film festivals. His approach to animation, deeply rooted in emotional expression, complements Vasconcelos’ poetic style. Together, they craft a visual language that mimics the unfiltered creativity of a child—a world where the line between the imagined and the real is fluid and ever-shifting.
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In this way, «Lulina and the Moon» functions as both a celebration of childhood and a meditation on the power imagination has in navigating the complexities of the human experience. For Vasconcelos, animation is not merely a storytelling tool but a vehicle for emotional expression, that creates space where the child and the adult can confront their fears, embrace their creativity, and ultimately, find their way home. The film emphasizes on the child’s ability to shape its own narrative through the power of art, which makes it not just a personal journey but a universal one—a story that resonates with anyone who has ever been a child, or anyone who has watched a child learn to navigate in the world.

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