Directed by Germán Acuña (in his directorial debut for a feature), Nahuel and the Magic Book (Nahuel y el Libro Mágico) is one of 10 films in the “official” competition at this year’s Annecy Festival. And it’s also the festival’s only film from Latin America, which is… kind of inexcusable (but that’s a rant for another time).

Regardless, the film was a joint production between Chile (Carburadores, Punkrobot) and Brazil (Levante Films), and as this year’s only Spanish-language entry, it was in the spotlight.

Ultimately, Nahuel follows a somewhat templated trajectory and manages to tick many of the established tropes audiences have come to expect. There are a few surprises along the way, but the characters and plot take you pretty much exactly where you think you’re going to go.

I’m not saying it’s not a fun ride, because it is. And I’m not saying there’s nothing new and interesting here, because there is. But the story is largely paint by numbers.

Right off the bat, the film checks off the biggest trope: dead parent. Nahuel’s mother dies in childbirth (at sea) in the first 2 minutes of the film, before the title screen even appears.

Even though his father is a fisherman, Nahuel grows up deathly afraid of the sea and boats. Between that, constantly getting bullied, and a wandering mind, he’s become something of a disappointment to his father by the time he’s 12 or so.

So when a stray cat leads him to a dilapidated cabin (trope alert) and he discovers a dusty old tome called the Levisterio – which promises magical abilities, including the power to become brave – he runs off with it. Turns out, though, the book was under the protection of a wizard in that cabin, and by stealing it away, the book is now unguarded and attracts the eye of a powerful sorcerer, Kalku, who wants it for himself. To achieve ultimate power, natch.

Nahuel uses the bravery spell in the book to grant himself the courage to get on his father’s fishing boat and make his dad proud. But Kalku and his crow army soon attack, sink the boat, and separate father and son.

Nahuel is rescued and nursed back to health by a healer named Huenchur. And this is where things get interesting. Because Huenchur is a machi – a traditional healer in the Mapuche culture (of Chile and Argentina) – and she sends her young apprentice, Fresia, along with Nahuel to rescue his father.

Plotwise, things mostly go as you expect from here on out. An enchanted creature joins their crew. They make a stop at a tavern full of interesting (and unsavory) characters. The one-dimensional villain lusts after eternal power. Nahuel and Fresia overcome many obstacles, and Nahuel ultimately finds the courage he didn’t know was inside him all along.

As a story, Nahuel and the Magic Book is nothing incredibly new. As a work of 2D animation, it’s beautiful. The characters look like a graphic novel come to life, and it has gorgeously rendered backgrounds.

In terms of representation, though, the film is invaluable. Not only is it carrying the weight of an entire continent at this year’s Annecy Festival, it also features (quite prominently) a main character from an indigenous Chilean culture and religion – who unapologetically wears traditional clothing and accessories throughout.

Nahuel and the Magic Book is a joy to watch, and I hope its inclusion at Annecy leads to international distribution. It’s a fantastic story with great characters that absolutely deserves a wider audience.