In a remote mountain village in France occupied by Germans during WWII, young Sebastien befriends a homeless dog, Belle. The time and place of this film’s background elevates it from remaining a mere children’s film. Treated as a dangerous animal, Belle is first assimilated with the lonely Sebastien, but she is also like the persecuted Jews of the times, and another character who is misunderstood because of appearances. The beautiful, yet dangerous, Alps is overlapped with sadness, making the film suited for both children and adults. (KIM Se-jin)