This beautiful story follows the multigenerational Colombian family Madrigal. Similar to the magical house they live in, the children and grandchildren of this family possess magical gifts that they use to help their community. However, granddaughter Mirabel has no magical powers of her own, making her feel inadequate and out of place. When their magical home starts to fall apart, she can’t help but blame herself and goes on a desperate search for a solution to save the magic.

This award-winning musical not only has incredible music, but also emotional depth. Full of magic realism, the film addresses the complex theme of transgenerational trauma. Individual songs like “Surface Pressure” could also be analysed separately or viewed as excerpts. The film would be suited for interdisciplinary teaching projects together with subjects like Music.

Film/Musical · United States · 2021