Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this DVD, free of charge,from Shout! Factory Kids & Shout! Factory Films, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own.
Today's posts are all about COLOR, in one form or another- which is fitting for Fall, with all the changing colors of nature, all around us!
Our first feature today is a new movie coming to US theatres on Friday, September 30th!
This movie brings us the colors of Russia and the far North!
Synopsis:
A spirited and inspiring tale of hope and courage, LONG WAY NORTH is the feature directorial debut of lauded animator Rémi Chayé (first AD and head of storyboard for Oscar®-Nominated The Secret of Kells, The Painting) and tells the story of a young heroine persevering through a physical and emotional journey to find her explorer grandfather and his lost ship, the Davai.
LONG WAY NORTH is set in the late 19th century Saint Petersburg. Sacha, a young girl from the Russian aristocracy, dreams of the Great North and anguishes over the fate of her grandfather, Oloukine, a renowned scientist and Arctic explorer who has yet to return from his latest expedition to conquer the North Pole.
Sacha has always been fascinated by the adventurous life of her grandfather and has the same calling as Oloukine to be an explorer. But Sacha’s parents, who already made arrangements for her marriage, strongly disapprove of the idea to say the least. Defying her destiny, Sacha flees her home and launches an adventure-filled quest toward the Great North in search of Oloukine and his ship.
LONG WAY NORTH features an exceptional English voice cast of Chloé Dunn, Vivienne Vermes, Peter Hudson, Antony Hickling, Tom Perkins, Geoffrey Greenhill, Claire Harrison-Bullett, Bibi Jacob, Martin Lewis, Tom Morton, Leslie Clack, Kester Lovelace and Damian Corcoran.
Check out the trailer:
Review:
I appear to have turned Miss Grace into a foreign cartoon afficiando- every time she sees one come in for review, she can't wait to watch it, and she is always filled with so many questions, that the DVDs turn into mini educational sessions! A parent can't complain about that! So it was no different with this French Danish one- though I did get accused of holding it back from her (well, yes as she had FOUR hours of homework the night before-grrrr another day's topic), but it was only one day!
The movie opens with Fall colors and I was surprised to hear Miss Grace say how much better she likes the hand drawn cartoons, as they 'seem less fake', within the first 10 minutes! I actually kept having to STOP the video to answer her many questions about Russia, exploring the far North and about the time period. Whew, good thing Mom taught me a lot of Tsarist Russia, otherwise I would never have been able to answer them all! And then when I told her we needed to stop it and continue the next day, it was like pulling teeth out of her head! She was SO enchanted in the movie, that stopping it was unthinkable! Sasha was a girl she could relate to- refined when needed, tomgirl on the inside, and all heart. How she ends up leading the crew to find her grandfather's ship is not the traditional Disney tale. It's raw and emotional, but so much better for young girls to see! We both enjoyed the movie- it was different and unique, yet keeps you transfixed!
There are plenty of themes for parental discussion and I would NOT recommend it for kids under age 9-10, unless a parent is watching it with them. While Sasha is courageous and gutsy (to the extreme), younger kids will wonder why it appears her parents weren't looking for her or how she managed to get so far alone. There is also her grandfather's death and abandonment episodes to talk over, that could frighten younger kids. But these are all LEARNING lessons. Life may have been harder in the 19th century, but pluckiness, loyalty and honesty never go out of style, and these film teaches them, in a new way. It is quite easy to see why it has won so many awards already!
About the Film:
Directed by celebrated animator and filmmaker Rémi Chayé and produced by Sacrebleu Productions (Oscar Nominated Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage), Maybe Movies (Oscar Nominated Ernest & Celestine) and Norlum Studios (Oscar Nominated Song of the Sea), France 3 Cinéma and 2 Minutes, LONG WAY NORTH won the coveted Audience Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and the winner of Grand Prize and the Governor of Tokyo Award at Tokyo Animation Festival 2016. This captivating animated adventure, bolstered by emotionally resonant storytelling and visually exquisite hand-drawn animation, has continued to attract universal acclaim as it enchants movie audiences around the world.
SEE IT:
Check the Long Way North website for upcoming showings in your area!
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