Netflix’s animation division always seems to have something special cooking. Whether it’s a global, award-winning phenomenon, an adaptation of an iconic show, or the next film from an incredible filmmaker (or two), the output is always of note. But none of that has ever looked quite like the world of I Am Frankelda.
Written and directed by Arturo and Roy Ambriz, who happen to be proteges of Guillermo del Toro, I Am Frankelda is a stop-motion animated film about a writer. A writer who lives in a place where both existence and terror have their own worlds. Stuck in between those worlds, Frankelda must face her own nightmares to make sure both continue to exist. All of which sounds a little complicated, but the trailer is so stunningly beautiful, we don’t even care. Check it out.
I could talk about everything that’s wonderful about that trailer, but why don’t we check in with the creators, Arturo and Roy Ambriz?
“As brothers, we grew up inventing worlds together, drawing, playing, imagining,” the Ambriz brothers said in a statement. “Over time we understood that fictional characters were not only companions but guides. Sometimes they felt closer than the people around us. They provided us courage, wisdom, and solace. We believe fiction is not an escape from reality but a way of understanding it. A way of converting truth into palatable chunks. I Am Frankelda comes from a lifelong love of storytelling.”
“At the heart of the film is the relationship between Frankelda and Herneval: creator and creation, voice and echo,” they continued. “We are drawn to the mystery of ideas. We do not know if we invent them or if they find us. We only know that when they arrive, they ask to be brought into the world.”
“This film is a dream for us,” the brothers concluded. “It holds everything we have loved since childhood: monsters, drama, music, color, intensity, culture, and worldbuilding. We are moved by characters who feel deeply, who struggle, who transform. Frankelda is about a creator who insists on being heard, even when everything around her says no.”
I Am Frankelda comes to Netflix on June 12
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