We continue our series of reviews chronicling all of the (non-Studio Ghibli) animated films distributed by GKIDS Films — some of the most original and breathtakingly beautiful animated films from around the world — and how they hold up for a young American audience.

The entire retrospective is found here, and this time we’ve got…

Another Day of Life (2019): Raúl de la Fuente & Damian Nenow, directors

What’s it about?

Another Day of Life is based on the book of the same name by Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński and depicts his experiences in Angola in 1975 at the outbreak of civil war following that country’s independence from Portugal. The very real Kapuściński made a career of reporting from the world’s hot spots as a war correspondent and chronicler of the oppressed.

As Portugal – and all Portuguese citizens – frantically withdraw from the country, Kapuściński is intent on going south, into the heart of the conflict, to find the rebel leader Farrusco (who he has heard is a Portuguese traitor) and reveal what is really happening in the country… and who is really pulling the strings.

The film is a bold hybrid that blends striking animation (the result of extensive motion capture) with live-action documentary segments that focus on the real-life people who crossed paths with Kapuściński. It’s an incredible approach that allows the filmmakers to tell a dramatic story and remind us that those events actually happened. This isn’t a fictionalized script; this is real history.

What are the cultures at play? And how about the languages?

Even though the film is a joint production between Spain and Poland, it’s primarily in English (the live-action documentary segments are in Portuguese with subtitles). It takes place in 1975 Angola on the eve of that country’s independence from Portugal and at the beginning of a 27-year civil war. The beginning of the film pretty clearly lays out the two sides: the MPLA (backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba) and the FNLA/UNITA (backed by the United States and South Africa). Though, like most things in the fog of war, it’s easy to sometimes get hazy on who’s who.

Interestingly, we view this moment in the country’s history through Kapuściński’s (and his friends’) eyes, which is firmly on MPLA’s side (who eventually won the war). In other words, the United States is not portrayed as anything close to heroic. Indeed, the CIA and the U.S. government are the clear antagonists here, and it’s hard to look back and support what they did with any kind of moral high ground.

Will my kids like it? Is there anything objectionable for young kids?

Another Day of Life was made with an adult audience in mind. I wouldn’t say it’s overly graphic or unnecessarily violent, but it DOES show a taste of what it’s like in the middle of a civil war. There’s blood, death, and a lot of shooting, and it shows how it crashes down on and affects Ryszard Kapuściński – who finds himself at the center of it all.

Older kids (middle and high school) with an interest in history or journalism will likely find a lot to like here. Indeed, it shows the experience of a war correspondent in the 1970s and – in many respects – it probably hasn’t changed all that much.

Will I like it?

I sat on this film for a LONG time. I let the Blu-ray sit on my to-do pile for more than three months because I didn’t think I was in the right emotional head space for it. But have you ever avoided a film because you thought it was one thing? And then, when you finally watch it, it’s something else entirely? In the best way possible?

That happened for me with Another Day of Life. I thought it was going to be a graphic, emotionally devastating account of the atrocities of war – and frankly, I wasn’t in the mood to handle that. However, even though the film does touch on the horrors or war (and it’s a touch violent in places), it’s a flat-out gorgeous film that will leave you feeling inspired and in awe. And I fell totally in love with it.

I immediately bought Kapuściński’s book, and then I started reading the only Kapuściński book I happen to have in my collection. How had I avoided it until now?

The film is a remarkable achievement – in animation, in documentary filmmaking, in historical analysis, in storytelling – and it should not be missed.

How can I see it?

GKIDS and Shout! Factory just released a Blu-ray edition of the film with a couple special features. Included is a 3-minute look at how the filmmakers created the characters, a 15-minute or so making-of featurette, and a few trailers. The film is also available digitally from most retailers.

Final word?

Yes. My final word is yes. Buy it, rent it, stream it. Whatever. Just watch it.