Children in general love animals from the time they see them in picture books to the time they get their first domesticated pet. Put them in a movie, and a child will be glued to the screen as long as that animal is on being fascinating and funny. Put them in the country where the natural resources have animals out at any time day or night, and they will explore the land and enjoy all that nature has to offer. The sweet little Mexican boy Chico in this film doesn't have any human friends, only his father, whom he is anxious to always please, and when not working with him, is out exploring and making friends with as many animals as he can.
This isn't about just the animals Chico comes across. There are animals that get into their house and make a mess, there are wild boar and cats that are very dangerous, and various birds become his friends too as he goes out of his way to feed them, especially what appear to be abandoned babies. This little docudrama takes you into the life of Chico who finds a new adventure wherever he goes. One of the baby birds awaits his return, and it's very clear when he finds it again that his prayer for a friend has been answered.
The filmmakers who went to Mexico to shoot this got hours of footage and edited down to a fascinating hour that while in desperate need of restoration is still fascinating to watch. This isn't one of Disney's nature documentaries, but a rather scratchy looking black and white film, mostly music when Chico is not talking (he appears to be bilingual, speaking English to us and talking to his father in Spanish), and his father too seems fascinated by the nature around them. This is mainly desert land so it is dry and obviously hot, so while it's easy to feel sorry for Chico and his father, they make the best of what they have, and it's clear that they are indeed content with simply living.
This isn't about just the animals Chico comes across. There are animals that get into their house and make a mess, there are wild boar and cats that are very dangerous, and various birds become his friends too as he goes out of his way to feed them, especially what appear to be abandoned babies. This little docudrama takes you into the life of Chico who finds a new adventure wherever he goes. One of the baby birds awaits his return, and it's very clear when he finds it again that his prayer for a friend has been answered.
The filmmakers who went to Mexico to shoot this got hours of footage and edited down to a fascinating hour that while in desperate need of restoration is still fascinating to watch. This isn't one of Disney's nature documentaries, but a rather scratchy looking black and white film, mostly music when Chico is not talking (he appears to be bilingual, speaking English to us and talking to his father in Spanish), and his father too seems fascinated by the nature around them. This is mainly desert land so it is dry and obviously hot, so while it's easy to feel sorry for Chico and his father, they make the best of what they have, and it's clear that they are indeed content with simply living.
