With The Legend of Ochi, filmmaker Isaiah Saxon makes his first feature-length live-action film, following a successful career in animation. Thisfantasy adventure takes viewers to a remote Carpathian village, where a young girl defies the odds to save a mysterious creature.
The cast includes familiar faces: Finn Wolfhard(Stranger Things, Ça), Willem Dafoe(The Lighthouse, Spider-Man) and Helena Zengel(Benni, La Mission). This cast promises a powerful performance for a story that's both poetic and immersive.
The Legend of Ochi will be released on the big screen from April 23, 2025.
Synopsis: In a remote Carpathian village, Yuri, a young girl raised in fear of mysterious forest creatures called Ochis, is forbidden to go out after dark. One day, she discovers a baby Ochi abandoned by his pack. Determined to bring him back to her family, Yuri defies the rules and embarks on an extraordinary adventure into the secrets of the forest.
Isaiah Saxon's The Legend of Ochi is a tale of initiation that blends adventure and fantasy, plunging viewers into a universe imbued with mystery and poetry. The film recounts the journey of Yuri, a young girl in search of truth and freedom, who defies her village's prohibitions to save an unknown creature. Inspired by the aesthetics and spirit of the fantasy films of the 80s and 90s(E.T., The Never Ending Story, The Goonies), The Legend of Ochi offers a sensory plunge into an untamed wilderness of wonder and thrills.
From the very first minutes, the film captivates with its rich natural settings: deep forests, vast windswept plains, remote villages where time seems to stand still. Saxon opts to shoot in natural light, reinforcing the authenticity of the landscapes and the contrast between the harshness of the village and the vibrant warmth of the forest.
While obvious influences include Princesse Mononoké (the clash between nature and civilization) and E.T. (the bond between a child and a mysterious creature), The Legend of Ochi finds its identity in its bold practical effects. The film favors animatronic puppets and costumes over CGI, giving a striking texture and presence to the Ochis. A choice reminiscent of the creations of Jim Henson(The Dark Crystal), bringing an organic, tangible touch to the film's bestiary.
Narratively speaking, The Legend of Ochi doesn't revolutionize the genre, rehashing well-known archetypes: the rebellious child who defies convention, the rigid but humane mentor (Dafoe, perfect as the gruff patriarch), the journey of initiation that transforms the heroine. However, Yuri's writing adds a touching, sincere dimension, reinforced byHelena Zengel's poignant performance.
One of the film's most memorable moments is a dreamlike sequence in which Yuri learns to communicate with the Ochis, illustrated by hypnotic lighting effects and an ethereal soundtrack. The visual and emotional intensity of this scene evokes the pure magic of the stories of yesteryear.
The sound work plays a key role in immersing the viewer. The soundtrack, a blend of traditional instruments and synthetic layers, accentuates the film's primitive, fairytale atmosphere. Silence is also used with rare intelligence, notably during the confrontations between Yuri and Maxim, where the absence of music gives way to the rustling of the forest and the underlying tensions.
While the story remains accessible to a young audience, the poignant finale will not spare the most sensitive viewers, with some undoubtedly shedding a tear at the fate of Yuri and the Ochis.
The Legend of Ochi is a bubble of nostalgia, recalling the golden age of fantastic family comedies . While it doesn't shine in terms of script originality, it more than makes up for it with its sublime aesthetics, emotional sincerity and bold technical choices. Avoiding digital artifice to anchor his universe more firmly in reality, Isaiah Saxon delivers a film that is both immersive and timeless, appealing equally to fans of marvellous tales and those in search of sensory, artisanal cinema.
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