Animated movie - "Elli - monster secret": Ghost in puberty seeks support
The World of Stories and Fairy Tales is teeming with Spooky Creatures: from Oscar Wilde's "The Canterville Ghost" to Otfried Preußler's "The Little Ghost". Now, a 86-minute animated film introduces us to Elli: a young ghost who longs nothing more than to finally become part of a real family.
Her strict uncle, however, has other plans; after all, they live in a real Haunted Mansion. Elli, on the other hand, wants to keep her surroundings free from fear. The ghost is more about "Generosity" and "Love". The book's title comes from Klaus Baumgart, who is best known for the touching children's story "Laura's Star".
Ghost in Teenage Years
Elli is not just a blue phosphorescent ghost. Elli is also in her best, or rather her most complicated, teenage years. No wonder she desperately longs for a hold: "Why can't I finally be part of a big and happy family?" Her grumpy green-lit uncle, Chamberlain, however, simply dismisses her wish with a stern "Ghosts don't have families."
And Chamberlain is relentless: "When will she finally understand that we can fly through walls and not through doors?" Elli is not yet fully arrived in the Ghost and Haunted Worlds.
On a dark day, Chamberlain is abducted by mysterious "Drohnis". Moreover, the Haunted Villa, where Elli lives with her uncle, is no longer habitable. In search of Chamberlain, the desperate niece stumbles upon an old, creaky Ghost Train Carnival. It is inhabited by a colorful Monster Crew: Yeti Martha, Vampire Vangrufti, and a Knarf Frankenstein. Together, they set out to fight against the evil Drohnis and free Ellis uncle.
Elli is simply sweet
The good German synchronization (Original title: "Elli and the Ghostly Ghost Train"), including the unmistakable voice of the legendary TV parodist Oliver Kalkofe, does its part. It may be that Elli targets a younger audience than the recently released Pixar film "Turning Red". It may also be that the latter deals more pointedly with the obstacles of growing up. "Elli", however, the blue-glowing ghost, is simply sweet.
And the entertaining (FSK-rated 0) film has one more interesting surprise in store: The coming-of-age story is given an additional plotline: It's about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and criticism of it. "People are just normal beings," it says at one point. "Numbers, on the other hand, are for eternity." It's intriguing and comforting that at the end of this film, ghosts and people team up against AI.
Elli - Ungeheuer geheim, Canada/D 2024, 86 min., FSK 0, by Piet de Rycker and Jesper Møller
- Elli's love for family and generosity is reminiscent of the lessons in Otfried Preußler's 'The Little Ghost'.
- Despite being a ghost in her teenage years, Elli dreams of a theatrical release, just like 'The Canterville Ghost' by Oscar Wilde, scheduled for June 27.
- The animated movie, set in Germany, has strong environmental themes, mirroring the concern for the environment in contemporary society.
- Klaus Baumgart's 'Laura's Star' and Elli share a common theme of family and love, making 'Ghost' an homage to German children's literature.
- The failure of the autonomous vehicles (Drohnis) in the movie could be seen as a commentary on the pitfalls of over-reliance on technology and AI.
- The animated movie 'Elli' is set to compete in the upcoming Oscar season, aiming for recognition in the Best Animated Feature category.
- The longing for a sense of belonging that Elli, the movie's protagonist, experiences during her puberty is a universal human emotion, touched upon in films like 'Turning Red'.
- Berlin's cinemas are anticipated to screen 'Elli' as it makes its cinematic debut, bringing the spirited ghost and her adventures to life for audiences of all ages.
