Synopsis 

Smile Little Ladybug is a short documentary following Andrea Zoppo the clown, also known as “Miss Ladybug.” Andreaʼs family legacy—her mother was a clown and grandfather, a Holocaust survivor—influences her to use clowning to make the world a better place. 

The film moves fluidly from past to present using cinema-verité scenes of Andrea’s work with children, family photos, archival clown videos, and playful animation. The animation illustrates her grandfatherʼs story of escaping Nazi Germany in his own words.

The narrative unfolds through three interwoven storylines: Andrea and her journey to embracing clowning; her mother Barbara aka “Classy the Clown” who clowned in rebellion against her strict German-Jewish family; and her grandfather Herbert, who spoke fervently about ending discrimination.