Hola Frida introduces artist to kids

I applaud any project with a goal like Hola Frida. The animated feature from Karine Vézina and André Kadi aims introducing a young audience to the brilliant artist Frida Kahlo though much of her life and many paintings belong in an adult world. The filmmakers adapt Sophie Faucher’s picture book Frida c’ est moi, which plays off the artist’s accounts of developing an imaginary friend during her bedridden time recovering from polio. Rather than focus on a painting reflecting the emotions called “The Two Fridas,” filmmakers mix a few facts with plausible emotion and events as the recovering girl endures bullying and physical challenges when she discovers she can no longer jump rope or move like a regular kid. She can retreat to isolation, or as this story recommends, show resilient strength by working hard and building muscles. All this happens in a world filled with other kids, an adorable dog, and the bright colors of Mexico City. Though dealing with an artist, the feature’s drawings look basic, with simple lines that minimize shadowing and detail and reflect little of what ultimately made Frida a visual genius. Instead, Hola Frida serves as an appetizer for kids, an introduction to the name of a person they might later want to learn more about. Hola Frida sticks within a realm of stories about children rather than as masterful animation providing a mix of insight and amusement that attracts adults and kids alike