By Veronique Manfredini
Sebastiana, directed by Claudio Martins, is a short film adapted from the award-winning book, “Ela tem olhos de céu,” by Portuguese author Socorro Acioli. It paints a thoughtful analysis of the way differences between individuals and a group can be damaging to both the person considered as “other” and those around them.
The way that her town treats Sebastiana for her gift, even though she doesn’t try to attract attention, illustrates how much being different affects individuals from the collective. This difference makes people dislike her. They separate her from her friends because she’s seen as a threat. When Sebastiana gets mad because of all the harassment, she accidentally kills her friend with a thunderbolt. Despite this, she is the cure to the damage she caused, and is able to save her friend with her tears.
This short film’s animation was well done, engaging, and entertaining to watch. The music, sound effects, and the lack of a voice for the characters made it that much more effective in delivering the whole story.
I think Sebastiana has a good balance between a light hearted way of storytelling with its engaging and entertaining animations and its thoughtful and deep meaning below the surface.
I give this film 5 out of 5 stars.
Veronique is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of General Studies with a Bachelor’s in writing, and received associate degrees in English and Business Administration with High Honors. Her debut flash-fiction piece, “Holy Ransom Demands!,” was published in the Mood Reader Anthology by Hale Patton Publishing in February 2022.
She is passionate about writing and aims to have a career as a college professor, author, and developmental editor.
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