A sparkling gem, The Boy and the World lives up to its title, following a young boy whose search for his father leads him to all corners of his native land, both for good and for bad.

Written and directed by Alê Abreu, the animated adventure was made in Brazil by a relatively small team; the style of animation resembles handmade line drawings, and looks extremely simple by the standards of today’s extravagant, computer-aided blockbusters. While I’m certainly not an expert on movie animation, it reminds me of indie comic books that must compete against those published by Marvel and DC. The big companies can produce work that looks marvelously complex and detailed, yet is still dependent on relatable characters and a strong story.

While The Boy and the World does not have a compelling story — much of the time, the titular boy wanders with little rhyme or reason…