Julián (Bagnall, 2026) - TIFF ‘26
The highly regarded Irish animation studio, Cartoon Saloon has truly become a blessing in my eyes. Crafting the most intricate details into each one of their newest animations. And their latest film, Julián does not miss a beat — in the animation department. With such painted lines and a colourful scenery, everything fits in perfectly with this new feature’s storyline. After its world premiere at the Annecy International Film Festival, it heads to the Toronto International Film Festival, before the BFI for the London Film Festival, later in October.
Known for their highly acclaimed films Wolfwalkers (Moore & Ross, 2020) and Song of the Sea (Moore, 2014), Cartoon Saloon works with Louise Bagnall to adapt Jessica Love’s beloved children’s book, Julián is a Mermaid (2018). A truly lovely and charming tale, Bagnall’s gorgeous feature debut expands a young children’s book into something more magical for all generations. It reminds us of the power of self-love and acceptance. More important than any outside factors, believing in who you truly are is the most crucial to life.
Day to day life changes for seven-year-old Julián (Knight Darius Jack) when his father goes away for work. Leaving him with his Dominican grandmother in Brooklyn, his typical routine will no longer be the same. Beginning with an understanding of Abuela’s (Milcania Diaz-Rojas) expectations, their first few days seem simple. A little awkward at first, they begin to understand each other, as estranged grandparent and children do. But, apart from his Abuela, Julián finds a new world within the neighbourhood of her apartment.
Outside, Julián immerses himself in his imagination, alongside new friends and the borough’s Caribbean community. As he experiences the local traditions, following along with his five senses, he develops a greater understanding of family heritage and roots. But, what becomes more important to Julián is the city’s upcoming Mermaid Parade. Developed straight from the beginning of the film, he is a young and passionate boy, always wanting to be in the water. So, the announcement of this specific parade excites little Julián. Even though he knows, or believes in, what he wants to be, this idea unsettles his Abuela, leading the two down an uncertain path.
Immediately audiences are brought into Julián’s world mentally. Those use to the feeling of slowly hiding and revealing yourself from those around you, can fully see the expression the young boy wishes to be able to do. But of course the world does not work so simply. Faced with not only familial and ancestral restraints, the environment in which he lives in also becomes an issue. Yes, the Mermaid Parade is a pride type event, but the neighbourhood itself might not be so inclusive dependant on some specific individuals. Thus, remembering the idea of the antagonist in a well plotted story.
Who needs reality around you when Bagnall and Julián remind the viewer that magic exists in us where we wish to create it. Through such a gorgeously crafted animated style, young Julián is able to share with the audience the importance in being who you are. No matter who surrounds you, embracing yourself is the best thing one can do. Despite his surroundings, Julián’s friends help him celebrate the joy they feel in their acceptance between one another. Those who love you love you for who you are, no matter what they believe in.
While the animation style, of the simplistic brush lines that at time fade in with one another, need not matter at the times you as the viewer find yourself fully invested in the underlying queer element of the film itself. A charming and at times melancholic expression of the truth, Bagnall’s Julián is a clever and crafty exploration into the further and deeper ideas of Love’s bestselling children’s book, Julián is a Mermaid. Two stories, which one can only assume, fit the time in which we are living in. The importance of love and acceptance always at the surface of the best way to be in today’s society. Truly a film made for every generation and the entire family to find and enjoy.
