We first meet V—a sociable, confident young woman comfortably at home in vivid live-action role-playing (LARP) scenarios. V travels to far-flung places, first enrolling as a student at Poland’s College of Wizardry and later joining a monster-slaying militia in the Bulgarian countryside. But “V” is just a front for the cautious Veera, who is still processing trauma from her abusive father. In her day-to-day life, Veera lovingly takes care of her brother, Ville, who has an intellectual disability. When Veera introduces Ville to the world of LARPing, The Magic Life of V transforms into a powerful look at fantasy’s ability to help us cope with real-world trauma. Director Tonislav Hristov’s camera becomes an important part of the process, as we realize how the film itself is an ingeniously designed vehicle for Veera to LARP her own life. (KS) Presented by Missouri Military Academy