Discover the film Pumpkeen:
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On Halloween night in Pennsylvania, in a 1990s suburb, Léo, a timid young boy, goes trick-or-treating with his friends.
They arrive at a dark, eerie house, and his friends dare him to ring the doorbell of the scary old lady. A clap of thunder startles them and they run off. Léo is paralysed with fear and it is too late to catch up with his friends.
Her fear brings to life a misshapen pumpkin in a corner of the garden, Pum.
At first he is terrified of this fantastical creature, but Pum’s clumsiness eventually makes him laugh.
A firefly lands in Pum’s eye, lighting it up from within. Pum jumps for joy.
The firefly flies away; Pum feels her empty body, looking disappointed. Fascinated by a light on the upper floor of the dilapidated house, Pum takes Léo’s hand and drags him towards the front door despite his protests. She dashes down the dark corridor; Léo, terrified, stands frozen to the spot.
The door slams shut behind him, making him jump. Pum knocks over a coat rack and then the umbrella stand. Pum resumes her run; Léo fearfully steers clear of the shadow on the floor that looks like a hooked hand, but Pum is attacked by a cawing crow.
Leo manages to overcome his fear and sends him away. Pum is already dashing towards the room where the light is coming from, but Leo holds her back. A dark figure, seen from behind, is rocking back and forth, snoring, in a rocking chair next to a lit candle in a large living room.
Pum, stamping her feet, points at the candle. Léo isn’t very keen, but eventually gives in when he sees Pum looking so sad.
Léo takes a deep breath and tiptoes forward. He hears a creak from the floorboards behind him and sees Pum following him, looking a bit clumsy.
Léo signals to him to be quiet. He walks up to the candle and holds out his hand. The window slams shut; a draught blows out the candle’s flame, and the snoring stops.
Léo froze, his eyes wide. A shadow stretched out above his head. Léo steps between Pum and the figure. Rosie switches on the torch beside her, revealing a smiling, kindly-looking old lady. She asks them what they’re doing there. Léo apologises profusely as he explains his quest: the candle.
Pum stumbles, interrupting her, and falls flat on her face. Rosie bends down to help her up with a kind look on her face, saying that Léo is welcome to help himself.
Léo hands the candle to Pum. Rosie strikes a match and Pum gazes in wonder at the lit candle in her hands. Pum, bathed in light, takes Léo by the hand in the entrance hall; they walk towards the exit with a determined air. Léo walks over the shadow cast by the eerie branch without looking at it.
On the front steps, Pum hops towards the windowsill. Léo lifts him up onto it and gives him a goodbye cuddle. Pum returns the cuddle, then tucks his limbs in and freezes. All that can be heard is the crackling of the candle.
Rosie appears on the front steps and places a comforting hand on Léo’s shoulder as he looks sad.
In the distance, Léo’s friends are shouting his name and pushing open the gate at Rosie’s front door. Rosie promises Léo she’ll look after Pum and gives him some sweets before urging him to go and join his friends.
Léo sets off and waves a final goodbye to Rosie. Rosie is alone on her porch. Some children, drawn by the light from Pum, come to ask Rosie for sweets, and she happily goes to give them some.
