In this animated film, the life of iconic artist Frida Kahlo unfolds in a colorful and imaginative way. Hola Frida focuses on the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, the good and bad, and the sadness and resolve of this girl who endured a lot in her life and overcame so much. 

The movie introduces Frida to an audience that might never have known about her life and career. Her Mexican culture blended beautifully with her modern art and her great imagination and use of color.

The art is secondary to the life story of Frida. It begins with her as a young child, filled with hope and kindness. She is a free spirit until a bout of polio sidelines her and commits her to her bed – for awhile. With one leg overtaken by the disease, little Frida has to learn to walk with a brace on that leg, and ultimately regain her strength. It is her inner strength that helps her move forward and gain the physical strength to continue with her life.

While Frida grows, she encounters a school bully with his own personal problems. She also endures some bullying by others at the school, but soon her resilience and true inner kindness prevails.

Frida is a joy to be with. She is filled with hope and love. She is also on her way to being a doctor so she could help others, but that was not to be. Inspired by colors and art, Frida forgoes her dreams of being a doctor to become an artist. And when she suffers another medical emergency, her inner toughness once again brings her back from the brink of death.

Having been near death twice, Frida forges on, knowing each time that it was not her time to die and that she was going to accomplish her dreams of being an artist. 

The movie is unique in that it delves deep into the imagination of this young girl. Her inner soul – or spirit – helped guide her through the tough times. In that sense, it is very inspirational.

As she grows, young Frida draws in her notebook, which is the impetus for her burgeoning art career. Director Karine Vézina said, “Frida Kahlo’s personal journals are a true source of inspiration for Little Frida’s notebook, and they also serve as a temporal marker, with the flipbook-style animation speeding up or rewinding time!”

When asked how the filmmakers approached the animation to blend Frida’s work with her imagination, Vézina said, “That was one of the challenges of the film. We wanted to showcase Frida’s works, but some elements could be difficult to present to children.” Co-director André Kadi added, “We chose to suggest them within her imaginary world, as early glimpses of what would later become her pictorial universe, since she herself said she wasn’t a surrealist and simply painted her reality.”

This aspect of presenting elements of Frida’s life as her imagination is interesting, and definitely colorful. Frida’s imaginary world is bright and beautiful, and is part of what helps her get through her life.

The movie is filled with some sad elements but ultimately brings the bravery and success of Frida to light. It is a colorful and, as stated earlier, a very imaginative film that is meant to introduce Frida to a young audience. 

Young viewers will undoubtedly embrace Frida and her courage as she grows and endures so much. But in the end it is a movie about triumphing over adversity. She became one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century, and now her story is told in an interesting way for both young and old.

Hola Frida is not rated by the MPAA, however it is suitable for most ages. The very young might be a little too sad and emotional during Frida’s struggles, however given the positive message and ending, it is definitely geared for all ages.

The movie opens in theaters August 8, 2025.  The ultimate message is “Viva la vida!” (Long live life/Enjoy life) 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Images supplied courtesy Level 33/Hola Frida

The film Folktales takes viewers into the journey of several teenagers as they experience a life-changing year and move into adulthood. This documentary takes place at Pasvik Folk High School in northern Norway where the students learn more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. They learn about themselves, life, and how to grow as a person.

The “Norns” in Norse mythology are the deities weaving fate and shaping humans’ futures. These students get an unconventional lesson in learning about themselves and what life might have in store for them. They learn how to cope, how to believe in themselves, and they gain self-confidence, which is what most of them lack when they arrive.

They all experience life-changing lessons that will have an effect on them forever. These teens learn about how to take care of animals, how to hunt, how to survive in the wilderness, and much more.

Sled dogs are part of the school. The students must take care of their dogs, show them love and compassion, and learn how to hook them up and drive their sled through the Arctic wilderness. It’s not as easy as it looks. These Alaskan Huskies also become their companions as the teens bond with them and, spoiler alert, are heartbroken when one of them dies. It’s a touching scene.

The scope of the year brings the teenagers closer to the land, animals, and each other. They are completely different when it comes to personalities. Some are very shy, some are confused about life, and others grab onto life with gusto. But combining these very different personalities in a remote location with situations in which they would probably never find themselves if they hadn’t come to the school, is a lesson in life itself.

By the time they graduate they are more confident in themselves and what they can accomplish. It is inspiring and the film tells their stories in a way that captures the attention of viewers. The cinematography blends with the students’ activities and their growth as they take this incredible journey to adulthood. They came to the school as teens without any real direction in their lives, and they left with compassion, self-assurance, and a new perspective on life and the world.

Folktales opens in theaters August 1, 2025. It was filmed in Norway and includes both English and Norwegian dialogue.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Images courtesy Magnolia Pictures

Guns & Moses stars Mark Feuerstein as a small-town Hasidic Rabbi whose world is shattered by gunfire.

During a gala to honor Alan Rosner (Dermot Mulroney), a respected member of the small Jewish community and a solar farm entrepreneur, there is a horrific shooting at the event that puts them all on edge. With antisemitism violence around the world, this little town of High Desert, California is now the big news across the country. Several white supremacist groups in the town are in the crosshairs and the police arrest Clay Gibbons (Jackson A. Dunn), the main suspect, a young man who has previously called the holocaust a hoax.

When it comes down to it, Rabbi Mo’s compassion and intellect wins over young Gibbons who was initially thought to be Rosner’s killer. The kid realizes his views about the holocaust and Jews are incorrect, thanks to the personal story of holocaust survivor Sol Fassbinder (Christopher Lloyd).

But Rabbi Moses Zaltzman is not convinced the kid is the assassin of his friend. He has a deep conviction that the real killer is still on the loose. So, when more Jewish men start getting killed, he knows there is something more to these murders and begins to investigate the connection between the victims, other than their religion.

The Rabbi’s five children are worried that they are in danger, however he believes there is much more to uncover and assures them they will be safe. The security guard for the congregation thinks otherwise. She is tough and always prepared. Brenda Navarro (Gabrielle Ruiz) instructs the Rabbi and his wife how to handle guns for their own protection. After all, she cannot be with them at all times so they should know how to safely handle and shoot the weapons. He is apprehensive about shooting a gun but relents, as does his wife.

The Mayor (Neal McDonough) is still convinced the murders are due to antisemitism and vows to keep the Jewish community safe. With the police hunting down clues, the community and the Rabbi’s family are concerned.

Then the Rabbi himself is a target of neo-Nazis and that points the investigation to the white nationalists. But even so, the Rabbi is still not convinced that the murders were due to religion. The attack on him was, but he was not killed, so he puts his clues together to get to the bottom of the killings.

When things go awry for the Rabbi, all his tactical training comes into play – thanks to Navarro.

The investigation is intricate and soon the Rabbi gets to the bottom of it all, albeit with shocking results.

If you thought the shootout at the OK Corral was something, wait until you see this one!

Guns & Moses delivers a strong Jewish hero who keeps his compassion but when it comes down to it, he will do what is right, and yes, use his gun. It’s an interesting story with some twists along the way. Plus there is plenty of action.

The film is rated R and opens in theaters July 18, 2025.

A statement from Director Salvador Litvak –

• My wife/writing partner Nina and I conceived Guns & Moses in the wake of the 2019 Chabad synagogue shooting in Poway, California. I attended Lori Gilbert-Kaye’s funeral, interviewed Rabbi Goldstein for my Jewish learning platform Accidental Talmudist, and watched as he became a national figure. We knew that antisemitic attacks would remain relevant, but we never imagined that the worst violence since the Holocaust would occur on October 7, 2023 during post-production of our film. Nor did we imagine the horror of politicians, professors, students and agitators spewing Jew-hatred publicly since October 8.
• These events were unimaginable, but not shocking. I grew up with two Holocaust survivors in my home – my grandmother Magda, and my mom Kati, whom Magda carried as an infant through a concentration camp. My grandfather was murdered in a different camp. I heard from my family a thousand times that it could and would happen again. Maybe in Europe, I thought, but not in America. I was wrong, and I came to see that before 10/7. We’ve been in danger for a long time, and we can’t rely on others to protect us. 
• I did not grow up around guns. Like many American Jews, I didn’t consider the Second Amendment to be very important. As an adult, however, I became an Orthodox Jew – which is to say a visible Jew – and I grew increasingly aware of the danger to our community. I stepped up and became a guardian. Rabbi Mo’s firearms training in Guns & Moses mirrors the training I received in Magen Am, a licensed and volunteer armed-security force that protects our houses of worship. Thank God, I’ve never had an incident, and I pray I never will. 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.