HOLA FRIDA – Movie Review
Hola Frida is a charming, beautifully animated biopic about artist Frida Kahlo’s childhood. Co-directors Karine Vezina and Andre Kadi focus on young Frida, the smart and curious girl whose indominable spirit gives her the strength to soar past her physical afflictions and imagine a world of wonders. The storytelling is deceptively simple in its understated delivery of wise advice. It leads to an understand of why Frida Kahlo became a painter.
The film opens with a wheelchair-bound Frida finding her childhood notebook and, with it, remembering how her life was transformed when she caught polio and survived with a ‘chicken leg’ that was weak and too short, a disability that prevented her from playing normally. Most of her friends rallied to support her, but she was badly bullied by a few. Her loving parents were protective. Simply put, this Frida story shows how parents can support kids with disabilities, encouraging them to live life fully. It also addresses issues of women’s equality — young Frida wanted to be a doctor and her parents supported that goal, even though medical schools were not accepting female students.
This telling of Frida Kahlo’s story is an unusual one. Kahlo is the subject of several excellent live action narrative feature films and Carla Guitterez’s remarkable 2024 documentary, Frida, that focus on her controversial and drama-filled adult life — as a political activist and the infamous lover of famous men, including Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky. None of that appears in this film, but knowing about it does give Hola Frida an extra measure of appreciation. And Hola Frida gives an extra measure of appreciation to the other biopics about the complex feminist icon.
The film’s colorful animation brings to life the culture of old Mexico and of ancient Indian legends. It even includes a sequence celebrating the Day of the Dead. The film is a captivating and enlightening experience. Viva Hola Frida.
FILM DETAILS
Title: Hola Frida
Director: Karine Vezina and Andre Kadi
Release Date: August 8, 2025 (limited)
Running Time: 82 mins.
Parental Advisory: Content advisory for parents
Country: France and Canada
Language: English
Production Company: Tobo Media, Du Coup Animation, Haut et Court
Distribution Company: Level 33 Entertainment
Trailer