Death in the perspective of a child – review of the film “Salma in the Land of Souls”

Mexican animations undoubtedly have that something! During Halloween, the movie Salma in the land of souls , a Spanish-language offer for the time of ghosts, appeared in European cinemas . It is a good production for the youngest, but will it be equally attractive for their parents?

Death day

Polish viewers, large or small, had the opportunity to watch films related to the Mexican holiday of the dead before. It is worth mentioning Coco or the Book of Life . However, Salma in the land of souls , the latest production inspired by the aforementioned event, waited for its debut for many years. Director Carlos Gutiérrez Medrano has worked consistently on it. The reason why the project could not be completed faster was the lack of funds necessary to finalize the film. It is worth noting that the animation was made in Mexico by Mexicans, which makes it different from the aforementioned titles. Salma in the land of souls is a colorful, bittersweet story that stays in your memory for a long time.

A story about longing

Santa Clara is a Mexican ghost town. Thanks to the deal with Death, residents can meet their deceased relatives once a year. It is a special time, especially for those who are short of loved ones. One of the orphans met in the animation is sixteen-year-old Salma. The girl does not know her parents and feels great longing. However, she is not allowed to create an altar, thanks to which she could connect the world of the living with the world of the dead and meet her relatives. A decade later, her situation is changed by a medallion from an apparently unknown source. Salma and her foster brothers – Jorg and Pedro – set off on a long journey, with no guarantee of a happy ending.

Let us have fun in the face of death

The humor we see in Salma’s animation in the land of souls, they are both simple jokes in dialogues as well as funny situations in which the characters are involved. The youngest ones will especially like small creatures that look like human skulls. However, they differ in temperament. Their behavior can be compared to some pokemon or minions. Although an adult viewer will notice a few inaccuracies in the production, he may be captivated by the appearance of the world of the dead. When it comes to Polish dubbing, great applause for Tomasz Kot, who played the role of Morlett, and Katarzyna Skolimowska as the main character’s (foster) grandmother. Both Kot and Skolimowska will make the youngest have fun, and maybe this atmosphere will also affect their parents. On the other hand, Julia Wieniawa-Narkiewicz, i.e. the title Salma, fares poorly. The main character was deprived of emotions.

Technical problems and stuff

During the screening, I noticed numerous technical stumbles. Sometimes the shapes of the figures seemed square, and the presented world – graphically underdeveloped. The reason why these elements have not been refined is probably the financial issue. The budget for Salma in the land of souls was not as large as in the case of Coco or the Book of Life . The animation itself is a combination of adventure cinema, horror elements and characters showing magical abilities, like superheroes. In this light, the quality of production becomes an even more important factor.

To sum up, the movie Salma in the land of souls is not perfect, but the message of this fairy tale is commendable. The world where we can meet our deceased loved ones, at least for one day, is unique and each of us would probably like to move there for a long time.

We would like to thank the Cinema City chain for the opportunity to watch the film.