The Year My Parents Went On Vacation follows the emotional journey of a child hastily abandoned by his parents that is forced to adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings he now finds himself transplanted to. In the weeks leading up to the 1970 World Cup, Mauro is moved from his comfortable home to the noisy and alien streets of São Paulo, Brazil to stay with his grandfather while his parents go on a spur of the moment 'vacation.' Left standing with suitcase in hand on the curb of his new home, Mauro is immediately confronted with the death of his impromptu caretaker and left to forage for himself in an empty apartment. Days turn to weeks and an unlikely friendship forms between Mauro and the elderly Jewish neighbor that begrudgingly views the child's situation as an exercise in faith. The simplistic nature of the film allows for a heartwarming adventure about the naiveté of youth and the struggle of maintaining ones religious and political convictions in the face of hardship. A more dramatic companion to such films as Home Alone and Persepolis.