Àma Gloria, a French coming-of-age drama, stands out as a modest gem in this year’s cinematic offerings. The film features a mesmerizing performance by six-year-old newcomer Louise Mauroy-Panzani, who plays Cléo, a middle-class Parisian girl. Cléo’s life is turned upside down when her beloved nanny, Gloria, portrayed by Ilça Moreno Zego, has to return to Cape Verde to become a grandmother.
Gloria proposes a compromise: Cléo can visit her during the summer holidays. This arrangement allows Cléo to bond with Gloria’s pregnant daughter, Fernanda, and her cautious young son, César. The film delicately explores the vulnerabilities of Cléo, who is motherless and wears thick glasses, yet it also highlights the lack of mothering experienced by all the main characters.
Director Marie Amachoukeli employs simple, child-friendly animation to illustrate the bond between Cléo and Gloria. These animated segments serve as breezy, dreamy flashbacks, adding a unique touch to the narrative. A football match in the final act provides a glimpse into the camaraderie between César and his friends, reminiscent of the euphoric effect seen in Lukas Moodysson’s Together.
Àma Gloria is currently showing in UK and Irish cinemas.
