The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (O Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias) (2006)

Drama

Director: Cao Hamburger
Writers: Adriana Falcão, Claudio Galperin, Cao Hamburger, Bráulio Mantovani, Anna Muylaert
Starring: Michel Joelsas, Germano Haiut, Paulo Autran, Simone Spoladore

Partially inspired by events from director Cao Hamburger's childhood, the film O Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias centers around Mauro, a 12-year-old boy who is dropped off by his parents, who have to go on a "vacation," at his grandfather in São Paulo. Unbeknownst to them, the old man passed away the very day of Mauro's arrival. Being left to fend for himself, some Jewish neighbors take him under their wing, and he spends the longer part of the year 1970 in this ethnically and culturally diverse (prevalently Jewish) community of the Brazilian city, making friends with a number of colorful characters in the neighborhood. A very important part of the story is the 1970 World Cup, with Brazil's national team challenging the title, as Mauro's strongest passion is for soccer.

Offering interesting perspectives on Jewish life in South America's most populous city as well as the fate of political dissidents during a particularly dark period of Brazil's recent past, all told masterfully through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy, The Year My Parents Went on Vacation is a very tender and heartfelt coming-of-age story about how the young boy learns about life, Jewish culture, the World Cup, a dictatorship government, and in the end, how to become a man years before his time.

Plot summary from IMDb: In 1970, near the World Cup, Daniel Stern and his wife Miriam leaves Belo Horizonte in a hurry and scared with their ten years old son Mauro in their Volkswagen. While traveling to São Paulo, the couple explains Mauro that they will travel on vacation and will leave Mauro with his grandfather Mótel. Daniel promises to return before the first game of the Brazilian National Soccer Team in the Cup. The boy is left in Bom Retiro, a Jewish and Italian neighborhood, and waits for Mótel in front of his apartment. When the next door neighbor Shlomo arrives, he tells the boy that Mótel had just had a heart attack and died. Alone and without knowing where his parents are, the boy is lodged by Shlomo and the Jewish community. Through the young neighbor Hanna, Mauro makes new friends, cheers for the Brazilian team and sees the movement of the police and militaries on the streets while waiting for his parents.

Awards: 28 wins & 29 nominations.
Runtime: 110 min
PG