Àma Gloria

There is a documentary feel at times to director Marie Amachoukeli’s film of six-year-old Cleo (Louise Mauroy-Panzani) who has grown almost totally dependent on the nanny Gloria (Ilça Moreno Zego). The early scenes with eye-tests and Cleo’s time at school sets out the closeness of the relationship between them. And it never truly loses that element even as dramatic tensions between the characters mount later on.

On the face of it’s a simple tale of Gloria having to return home to Cape Verde to deal with her mother’s funeral, and other matters. As such it’s unlikely that she will ever return to France. But Gloria offers Cleo the opportunity to visit her at Cape Verde, which her dad is fine with and she jumps at.

Arriving at the island there’s an immediate impediment with the language, but also Gloria’s son César (Fredy Gomez-Tavares) who doesn’t take to her and there becomes something of a power struggle for attention which is further complicated when Gloria’s daughter Fernanda (Abnara Gomes Varela) has a baby.

These are adult matters that Cleo has to learn to deal with, and fast, so her competitive nature comes to the fore, as well as other less savoury aspects of a developing personality. The child’s mind is here seen as selfish and nasty (both Cleo and César do and say some pretty awful things) but the viewer will know that this is just what children are capable of.

It’s a remarkable performance from Mauroy-Panzini as Cleo is exposed to (and by) two of the most powerful, potentially destructive human emotions: love and jealousy. There’s death too though she is somewhat shielded from that. Gomez-Tavares is excellent too as Cesar struggles with his frustrations at his mother and Cleo, they become understandable. The viewer is left with the thoughts that these two aren’t that different.

Kudos also to Ilça Moreno Zego as Gloria who gets the balance just right with the complications in her life away from the children, then having to deal with their antics. The film is as much about Gloria, albeit told from Cleo’s perspective. With such deep love between them the parting is as hard on Gloria as Cleo.

The film looks superb making wonderful use of the island location, its bright light, and vivid colours. The fragmented animated sequences by Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet, used to express Cleo’s inexpressible inner feelings are beautiful and used sparingly are incredibly powerful and touching.

Àma Gloria will open in UK cinemas on 14 June 2024.