Mk2 | Mile End Film Review - Mia and The White Lion

Director Gilles de Maistre wanted to make a film about an unbreakable bond between a young child and a lion and was told it could not be done. A 3- year-old lion is an adult and will see any human as prey. The only way around that would be to have the actor bond with a cub from birth so that is what de Maistre did for the film. Daniah de Villiers a youth actor who was familiar with the species was cast to play Mia Owen starting at age 11 growing up with Thor who was a cuddly cub that arrived at Christmas one year at the Owen family breeding farm in South Africa and allowed to live in the family home. Named Charlie for the narrative its Mia's older brother Mick (Ryan McLennan) traumatized by an event in his infancy that has lead to nightmares, psychologists and stunted growth who takes to the cub first. Mia is sulking not wanting to be South Africa but instead back in London with her friends who she skypes cheering on her favourite team Manchester United and her favourite player Wayne Rooney. It's Charlie that pushes the friendship early on. Always coming to her, looking at her from a distance and taking her soccer ball. But its when she goes away to soccer camp and the two are separated both struggling from the distance apart that the bond is cemented once reunited.

Seedy canned trophy hunting alongside the practice of lion breading for conservation is exolored abd examined is in the film. The family-run a breeding farm is promoted as conversationalist with a goal to preserve the species but money is tight and a poacher with rich clients is always lurking about waiving a wad of cash looking to purchase lions for sport. Charlie is very valuable as a rare white lion that will bring in the tourists and be the main draw for the planned bed and breakfast.

 
The scenes with Mia and Charlie are rare to see on screen. The baby cute cub shots early on where humans feed newborns their bottles are standard fare. But as Charlie grows to 8 months, 1 year then on to two remaining in the family home is unprecedented. The peak is a scene where Mia taunts her mother Alice (Melanie Laurent) doing explicit no no's with the animal. Roughhousing, getting down on the animals level and turning her back as the lion approaches from behind knocking her down from behind for an embrace.

The story travel down a winding route. The adults force the pair to separate, Mia won't, leading the best friends to set out to walk across the country in an attempt to get Charlie to an animal sanctuary where he can roam free. Director de Maistre took a page out of Richard Linklater's Boyhood by having the cast fly in periodically over the three years to film their scenes. Changes in the cast are notable over the time period with the biggest being in the two children Mia and Mick and of course The white lion Thor.

*** Out of 4.

Mia and The White Lion | Gilles de Maistre | France / Germany / South Africa | 2018 | 98 Minutes.

Tags: Lions, Lion breeding, White Lion, London, Skype, Trophy Hunting, Canned Huts, Poaching, Manchester United, Runaway, Manhunt.