SHABA DABA | Omeleto

An uncle babysits. Sonny is a passionate Italian-American chef, and he's also a fun, loving uncle to his young niece, Mia. They love to cook together in the kitchen, especially chicken parmesan, a family favorite. Recently, Mia has been exasperating her mother by speaking in a made-up language consisting of only two words: "shaba daba." It's up to Sonny to try to fix this quirk of Mia's, but Mia proves resistant to his efforts, leading to chaos in the family and in the kitchen. Directed and written by Tony DeNiro, this big-hearted short family dramedy is a love letter to food, belonging and familial love, all of which come together in a narrative around an uncle and niece bonding together in the kitchen. Warm and charming in tone, it gets at how cooking and eating a delicious, home-cooked meal together nourishes not just the body but the heart and soul, especially if the occasion helps us truly see and listen to one another. The storytelling is unpretentious and naturalistic, with an ear for how close-knit families can bicker, tease and banter. Sonny is empathetic and free-spirited, a proverbial "fun uncle" who wants to impart the joy of food and cooking when he spends time with his niece. But their good times are complicated because, for reasons unknown to everyone, Mia says "shaba daba" to every question, order or comment. Her mother asks Sonny if he can help, and he's convinced he can fix her. The conflict of the emotional arc -- and the fun of the comedy -- is that Mia is much stronger-willed than the grown-ups give her credit for. The visuals are rich in the details of food, hearth and home, and viewers can practically smell the chicken parmigiana as we see it made on the screen. As uncle and niece, actors Nick Gregorio and Isla Lemire have a charming rapport and a natural appeal, making them easy to spend screentime with. But we're also attentive to the increasing intensity of Sonny's efforts to get Mia to snap out of her made-up language. He tries charm and bribes; he eventually tries to manipulate and scare her into using "real words." His efforts make for enjoyable moments of domestic mayhem, but as they ramp up, they also begin to upset the young girl and then Sonny. At its climax, SHABA DABA hits a point of rupture, which hurts Mia and even shocks Sonny, and for a moment, we wonder if it will deal damage to their relationship and even Mia's evolving sense of self. But that shock also propels Sonny into understanding, bringing us into the heart of the film's theme of acceptance, belonging, love and support. The family learns to let Mia be Mia in all her quirky glory, listening and really seeing her. Though she may only say two nonsense words, she wants something to be understood. When Sonny finally understands, it makes for an emotional resonance that's generous in spirit, celebrating food and family and reminding us of the joy of our quirkiest, most boisterous selves. SHABA DABA. Courtesy of Tony DeNiro at https://instagram.com/shabadabafilm.