Mustafa and his son Chafik are traveling through the foggy roads of northern Italy. The nine-year-old, unaware of where they are going, glean some information from his father's stops and meetings. The man, tired and worried about something still undefined, barely speaks to him. After a journey marked by silence, foggy landscapes and desolate cemeteries, a call will put an end to his anguish. Thus, near an abandoned village, far from prying eyes, little Chafik will discover the painful truth hidden in the trunk.
Outer Banks (2020-) knows its audience: young adults in a country that can’t stop romanticizing good ole’ treasure hunts. Add a little of Riverdale’s (2017-) sex appeal, and no one can look away. Forty years after The Goonies (1985) America’s consciousness hasn’t strayed from the same tropes: treasure hunts, a vulnerable white male lead, and the whitewashing of a racially segregated setting.
The gentle, emotional nuances of Evan’s coming-of-age story would have been so beneficial to have incorporated into the life of a POC character. Showing a Black, Asian or Latino young man that is afforded the space to be vulnerable, flawed and sensitive while driving a compelling and widely-loved narrative would have been a game changer.
"Black Widow" has strong female characters but sidelines its title character and serves as a launchpad for her successor, Florence Pugh's Yelena.
In an all-black community in Louisiana, a young girl learns her father has committed infidelity and turns to hoodoo to seek justice.
Animation as a medium of storytelling can be thought to be open to all ages and as I hope my readings will reveal, they could be interpreted as transgender stories.
