{"id":2194,"date":"2025-01-30T16:00:56","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T23:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/?p=2194"},"modified":"2025-01-20T16:33:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T23:33:50","slug":"a-passionate-tale-of-friendship-that-surpasses-human-boundaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/2025\/a-passionate-tale-of-friendship-that-surpasses-human-boundaries\/","title":{"rendered":"Autumn and the Black Jaguar * A Passionate Tale Of Friendship That Surpasses Human Boundaries"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2202\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AutumnandtheBlackJaguar-POSTER_Large.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"121\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AutumnandtheBlackJaguar-POSTER_Large.jpg 405w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AutumnandtheBlackJaguar-POSTER_Large-203x300.jpg 203w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 121px) 100vw, 121px\" \/>Growing up in the Amazon rainforest gave Autumn the rarest of friendships \u2013 a lost jaguar cub she discovers named Hope. When a tragic event forces Autumn to leave Hope for the unknowns of New York City, she dreams for years of going back to the rainforest and her friend. Aged 14, and having grown accustomed to city life, Autumn discovers her childhood village is under threat from animal traffickers and decides she must return to the Amazon to her beloved jaguar. Anja \u2013 Autumn\u2019s endearingly clumsy biology teacher \u2013 unsuccessfully tries to dissuade her from this reckless plan. Joined by Anja, Autumn embarks on a journey to reunite with Hope and save her from those who seek to destroy the rainforest and its wildlife.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ruhi K. comments, \u201c<em>Autumn and the Black Jaguar <\/em>is a passionate tale of friendship that surpasses human boundaries. Told through a combination of flashbacks and present-day scenes, it shows how one girl, on a quest to save a jaguar, changes the mindset of an entire community.\u201d See her full review and interview with Lumi Pollack below.<\/p>\n<p>Autumn and the Black Jaguar<br \/>\nBy Ruhi K., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 16<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Journey Through the Jungle: Ruhi K. Reviews &quot;Autumn and the Black Jaguar&quot;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cpa7lX1YWd0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2199 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.f.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"229\" height=\"153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.f.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.f-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" \/>Autumn and the Black Jaguar <\/em>is a passionate tale of friendship that surpasses human boundaries. Told through a combination of flashbacks and present-day scenes, it shows how one girl, on a quest to save a jaguar, changes the mindset of an entire community.<\/p>\n<p>The film follows Autumn (Lumi Pollack), a teen girl who loves animals but has none of her own. Autumn lives in New York City with her single father (Paul Greene), who moved them out of their former home in the forest after the murder of Autumn\u2019s mother (Eva Avila) by animal poachers. When Autumn learns that Hope, the jaguar who was her childhood best friend, is in danger, she makes the journey to the Amazon rainforest to save her, trailed by her agoraphobic biology teacher (Emily Bett Rickards) and her hedgehog.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lumi Pollack&#039;s Explosive Interview with Ruhi about Autumn and the Black Jaguar\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e0dPsWZE1N0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2197 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.d.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"149\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.d.jpg 467w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.d-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 149px) 100vw, 149px\" \/>One of the most impressive aspects of <em>Autumn and the Black Jaguar <\/em>is the character development of multiple people. Almost every character undergoes some kind of transformation. Autumn learns to ask for help when she needs it, and that, while she should trust her instincts, being careful is just as important as activism. Autumn\u2019s father learns to let people in instead of pushing them away. Her teacher opens up and is forced to reenter the world and make friends. Even Autumn\u2019s uncle Or\u00e9 (Wayne Charles Baker) learns to take a stand when something is wrong, rather than sitting still. The cinematography is also worth mentioning \u2013 <em>Autumn and the Black Jaguar<\/em> takes place in a rainforest and we see many breathtakingly beautiful shots of the Amazon jungle and its wildlife, rivers and waterfalls.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.g.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"234\" height=\"156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.g.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.g-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 234px) 100vw, 234px\" \/>Finally, the chemistry between Lumi Pollack and the real jaguar used for the film blows my mind. Before filming for <em>Autumn and the Black Jaguar <\/em>began, Pollack spent one year bonding with the jaguar, which is very apparent when they are on-screen together. Their interactions are very natural, and Pollack displays no fear or tension around the jaguar (which is really saying something, considering its size!). I was greatly moved by this touching story of one girl\u2019s unwavering bond with an animal and how she uses it to make a change.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2201 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.h.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"239\" height=\"159\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.h.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Jaguar.h-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 239px) 100vw, 239px\" \/>Autumn\u2019s inspiring journey is a reminder to stand up for those who would do the same for you in your time of need \u2013 animals as well as people. Be there for those who have been there for you, because one day you could be depending on them to save you. <em>Autumn and the Black Jaguar <\/em>also highlights the importance of perseverance. Determination can be the difference between failing and making an impact, even when it seems like the cards are stacked against you.<\/p>\n<p>I give <em>Autumn and the Black Jaguar <\/em>5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. The film releases to theaters nationwide on January 17, 2025.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR | Official Trailer | STUDIOCANAL\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Y7wWZsTRr4I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Growing up in the Amazon rainforest gave Autumn the rarest of friendships \u2013 a lost jaguar cub she discovers named Hope. When a tragic event forces Autumn to leave Hope for the unknowns of New York City, she dreams for years of going back to the rainforest and her friend. Aged 14, and having grown accustomed to city life, Autumn discovers her childhood village is under threat from animal traffickers and decides she must return to the Amazon to her beloved jaguar. Anja \u2013 Autumn\u2019s endearingly clumsy biology teacher \u2013 unsuccessfully tries to dissuade her from this reckless plan. Joined by Anja, Autumn embarks on a journey to reunite with Hope and save her from those who seek to destroy the rainforest and its wildlife.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ruhi K. comments, \u201cAutumn and the Black Jaguar is a passionate tale of friendship that surpasses human boundaries. Told through a combination of flashbacks and present-day scenes, it shows how one girl, on a quest to save a jaguar, changes the mindset of an entire community.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[2372,2375,2380,278,2373,2383,450,2379,2374,2382,2377,220,2381,2376,2378],"class_list":["post-2194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-film-critics-blog","tag-autumn-and-the-black-jaguar","tag-autumn-and-the-black-jaguar-review","tag-blue-fox-entertainment","tag-by-kids-for-kids","tag-emily-bett-rickards","tag-eva-avila","tag-family","tag-gilles-de-maistre","tag-jaguar","tag-kids-film","tag-lumi-pollack","tag-movie-reviews","tag-new-movies","tag-paul-greene","tag-wolf-and-the-lion"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2194"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2205,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2194\/revisions\/2205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}