Marona’s Fantastic Tale is a rich story about life and death and everything in between, told entirely through the eyes of a dog. With breathtaking visuals and unmatched empathy, the film implores us to think about what might count as joyous and heartbreaking for our four-legged friends. Told normally and in any other way, we might not care as much, but in a story as artful and compassionate as this, we can’t help but listen.
Unlike other films about pets, Marona’s Fantastic Tale isn’t cutesy—its art is dizzying and demanding, but beautiful nonetheless. And isn’t afraid to confront tragedy (in fact, it begins with it). But it buoys reality with dreamy art sequences and even finds humor along the way. All in all, it’s a mature film that poses big existential questions that will intrigue adults as well as kids.
"A cartoon that appreciates dogs as dogs, and treats one dog's life with the gravity and compassion we'd want expressed at a memorial service for a human of no importance who meant everything."
— Matt Zoller Seitz
""Marona" feels vibrant and upbeat even in moments of melancholy - like diving into an artistic child's sketchbook and watching the illustrations splash to life all around."
— Peter Debruge
Marona, an innocent and empathetic little female dog, remembers the life she has shared with different masters, whom she has loved unconditionally.
