Brazilian film Papaya is a trip of bright colours and pulsating rhythms
22 October, 2026Papaya (2026) is a Brazilian film freely inspired by Mafalda P. Zemella’s book Carocinho de Mamão – Papaya Seed, in English – which reveals who is the lead character whose adventures we follow throughout the production’s 74 minutes.
The direction, script and art direction is by Priscilla Kellen. This is Kellen’s first animation feature, preceeded by 2017’sTV series Vivi Viravento. If the character Vivi creates adventures within the pages of her scrapbook, Papaya shows us the wonders of nature and the dangers of the world through its journey from the Amazon forest through to intensive-farming properties and beyond.
The character’s journey goes from bucolic to dystopian settings and offers us a trip into the secret life of plants and animals through bright colours and pulsating rhythms. With endless curiosity and perseverance, Papaya triggers an inspiring regenerative revolution illustrated with a charming collage of animation and photographs.
The original score by Talita Dell Collado carries us through the film, using a range of sounds and music – including gentle acoustic guitar and accordion, energetic percussive instruments, as well as angry synths and electric guitars – as a soundscape to the different emotions evoked by the story. Singer-songwriter Tulipa Ruiz lends her beautiful voice to the character of Mãe Mamoeiro, Papaya’s mother. Her vocalisations and the song she interprets help elevate the film’s magical feel, which is likely to appeal mostly to older children and their parents.
Papaya is screening as part of the 45th Cambridge Film Festival, which is taking place from 22 October to 1 November 2026. Other Latin American and Caribbean feature films showing are Daughters of the Forest (Mexico), Tricontinental, letter to open in case of (Swiss-Cuban co-production), and Wild Horse Nine (UK/US/Chilean co-production).
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