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The film The Adventures of Snowflake was made in 2011 by Argentine director Andreas G. Schaer and distributed by Notorious Pictures. The film, which intertwines reality with digital animation with actors in flesh and blood, who interact with characters created by the imagination of the pencil of skilled designers, tells a true story: that of a very rare specimen of white gorilla which was given the name of Snowflake, found in 1966 in Equatorial Guinea and then became the darling of adults and children in the Barcelona zoo. In the film, the cartoons made in 3D computer graphics alternate with the actors in such a harmonious way that it is impossible to distinguish photography from the reconstruction of environments with digital software. Also thanks to the excellent cast chosen for this courageous low-budget film. To give the faces to the human characters of the film are, Claudia Abate, Pere Ponce, Juan Sullà and Elsa Pataky. The screenplay, on the other hand, is by Albert Val and Amelia Mora. The music is entrusted to Zacarías M. de la Riva and the photography is by Sergi Bartrolí. The film is an intertwining of fantasy and references to reality that, perhaps, will meet more the taste of adults, committed to recalling news stories that really happened, rather than that of children who, instead, will let themselves be fascinated by the story of talking animals than by always arouse their imagination. A very modern feature film in the technologies used - albeit with lower level technical means, which however have nothing to envy to those of the great majors - but with an ancient flavor for the good feelings proposed as a basic moral.
The very rare albino gorilla Snowflake, after having witnessed the extermination of his entire family in his homeland, arrives as a cub in the zoo of Barcelona and in a very short time conquers the love of the millions of visitors who flock to the Barcelona zoo every year. becoming the center of everyone's attention and pampering, precisely because of its unusual color. Unfortunately, however, in this case racism also affects inside the zoo, so, for the particular color of his fur, Snowflake is mocked and pushed away by the other gorillas, who make him feel uncomfortable, mistaking him too often for a bear white and not recognizing it as an integral part of the pack. This situation causes Snowflake so much suffering that it is unbearable. Emblematic as the representation of fantasy, also in this case, comes very close to reality, with the younger gorillas like Kiddo and Ganga who have no difficulty in integrating Snowflake within their community, as they do not recognize in his candid color an element of diversity. Older pack members, such as Ron, the very strict head of the family, not very open to change and too tied to traditions, instead tend to isolate what they do not understand and try to prevent younger members, even from speaking to the poor puppy. albino. But luckily there are the new generations to subvert the order of things and in fact Ganga, will be the other friend who will help Fiocco di Neve in the realization of his dream. But what dream? An almost impossible wish.
One day, in fact, almost by chance, the two friends learn that the Witch of the North - a fairy with special powers who can perform any magic on animals - is passing through the city. What better occasion to meet her and ask her to turn him into a black-coated gorilla like everyone else? And so Snowflake and Miguel escape from the zoo and set off on an adventure, in search of the witch who can give him a potion to become a real gorilla, on the streets of a magnificent Barcelona, which even in digital can always be splendid. The many dangers that they will face, will be overcome only thanks to the great desire of Snowflake to become like everyone else and be accepted by his peers and the realization of this goal will be willing even at the risk of life itself. Extremely worried about the escape of Miguel and Snowflake is Paula - played by the very Italian Claudia Abate who has been transplanted to Spain for some years - the little daughter of the zoologist who first found the white gorilla cub and brought him to Spain , keeping him at home for the first months of his stay in Spain and thus allowing him to adapt to the new environment. In the months spent together, the little girl and the albino gorilla have learned to know and love each other, developing that sense of unconditional friendship that only reaches its maximum expression in children. What binds them, then, is not only affection but also their common feeling excluded: Fiocco di Neve from her peers because she has a different color hair and Paula from her peers because, despite being a girl, she loves to play football and for this reason it is considered strange by all.
Although she no longer lives together, Paula is always very fond of the puppy and, having learned of his escape, with the help of an awkward friend - played by Joan Sullà - who has always secretly loved her, she will do everything to find Fiocco di Snow and protect it from dangers. Which in this case are represented by Luc de Sac, the most unfortunate and clumsy man in the world, who is determined to capture the little albino gorilla to tear his heart out and thus create an amulet that will protect him from bad luck. And here too there is more than an analogy with the chronicle of reality that too often sees, especially in some areas of sub-Saharan Africa, albinos being persecuted and killed for their diversity, in the absurd belief that their blood can serve to ward off bad luck. To achieve his goal, Luc de Sac will stop at nothing, even going so far as to try to bribe the Witch of the North with a lot of money to achieve his shady goals. But like any self-respecting children's film, the happy end is around the corner and provides for the redemption of the wicked and, perhaps, the fulfillment of the protagonists' wishes. The adventures that the two friends will have to face to reach their destination, in fact, will be many and along the way fortunately they will not only have to defend themselves from Luc de Sac, but they will also be able to count on the help of many new friends willing to accompany them for a " piece of path "in search of happiness. But will transformation and homologation really be happiness? As the story unfolds, this belief will be less and less rooted in Fiocco di Neve which, in the end, will realize that he is lucky to have a distinctive element, which makes it unique and inimitable. Escapes, disguises, misunderstandings and dangers will surround the importance of the values expressed by the good protagonists and we will all find ourselves cheering for the little gorilla, in the hope that the bad poacher will be punished for his misdeeds, to compensate for what is not it happens in real life instead.
The film based on the clash between the sweet naivety of Snowflake and the irreverent and sarcastic irony of the panda Miguel, is a beautiful story about friendship and the acceptance of diversity, as immense wealth for any community that can be called civil. After having tried so hard to become like everyone else, conforming to what he thinks are indispensable requisites to become part of the "group", Fiocco di Neve will realize that being "different" - or, as the wise Miguel often repeats , being "special" - is not a fault to be paid for but an element to be valued. In the advice "resigned to being a white fly", which the red panda bestows on the little albino gorilla during the escape, there is the whole essence of the moral of this film: diversity should not be condemned or marginalized, but valued as a particular quid of improvement of society. And perhaps it is no coincidence that the story is set in Barcelona, which has always been the capital of tolerance and multi-ethnicity. Beyond the historical veracity - the albino gorilla actually lived in the Barcelona zoo from 1966 to 2003 - the Catalan setting made it possible to make everything more plausible precisely because of the city's propensity to incorporate the different to make it harmoniously compatible with the 'unicum that the city itself is. And, given the results, it seems that the operation was perfectly successful.
Regardless of the moralizing intent, which is not new in films of the animation genre, "The Adventures of Snowflake" remains a film with a magical flavor that can make us smile, but also convey the feeling that the strong bond of friendship between mankind and the animal one, is possible for everyone, even if Snowflake and Miguel, as well as all the other animal characters in the film, are absolutely humanized. Just to stay on the subject of solidarity and love of neighbor, the film was screened on Saturday 22 December in Rome in the rooms of the Uci Cinemas - Porta di Roma as part of a solidarity event organized by Tiziana Rocca and in collaboration with the Notorious Pictures. The proceeds of the evening were entirely donated to the Salva Mamme-Salva Bebè association. A charity preview that had Gina Lollobrigida as godmother and as special guests both Grazia Passeri, president of the beneficiary association of the initiative and Roberto Proia, managing director of the production company. To find out how the adventures of Snowflake and Miguel will evolve, all that remains is to run to the cinema on January 3rd. The film is also visible in 3D and we are sure that the three-dimensional will be able to enhance even more the sensational adventures of the two protagonists traveling among the major monuments of Barcelona (the scene of the daring escape between Parc Güell and Casa Batlló). For 86 minutes it will seem to be suddenly in Barcelona in the company of two tender friends in trouble.
The adventures of Snowflake is copyright Castelao Producciones, Filmax, Muf Animation
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