Nocturna reveals a child’s fantastic vision of the night sky as a wondrous, yet quotidian, landscape. Set within an orphanage and centered on young Tim, the film begins with that universal child’s phenomenon, the fear of the dark. Tim focuses his attention on the reflected light from the stars to comfort him, but is soon drawn into an intrigue when the sparkling heavenly bodies, including his favorite one, begin disappearing from the night sky. As he sets to find out what is happening, Tim discovers an alternate world filled with peculiar characters and systems. First, he is faced with the Cat Shepherd, a seemingly worrisome, but ultimately harmless figure responsible for getting children to sleep peacefully. But Tim is not about to go to bed. He needs his star more than anything in the world and will do what it takes to see it shine in the night sky once again. Paired with the Shepherd’s minion, a cat (of course) named Tobermory, the two resolve to restore the stars to the sky. Soon, Tim and Tobermory become immersed in a world of labyrinthine rules and strange powers where their ultimate destination is as surprising as the journey itself. Presented in association with NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival. Recommended for ages eight and up.


Spain/France 2007, 80 min. Written by Adria` Garci´a, Vi´ctor Maldonado, Teresa Vilardell, With Imanol Arias, Natalia Rodri´guez, Carlos Sobera. In Spanish with subtitles, Filmax International.