Long Way North Movie Review

Shout! Kids Factory

A beautiful tale of strength, hope and courage can be found in Long Way North, when a young girl sets out to discover what happened to her Grandfather and the Davai.

Long Way North

About Long Way North

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.

A spirited and inspiring tale of hope and courage, LONG WAY NORTH is the feature directorial debut of 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 Grandfather and his lost ship, the Davai.

LONG WAY NORTH is set in the late 19th century in Saint Petersburg. Sacha, a young girl from the Russian aristocracy, dreams of the Great North and is devastated 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 to be an explorer. But Sacha’s parents, who have already made arrangements for her marriage, strongly disapprove of the idea. Defying her destiny, Sacha flees her home and launches a quest toward the Great North in search of Oloukine and his ship.

LONG WAY NORTH features an 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.

Long Way North

Our Thoughts

Long Way North is a beautiful, moving tale that draws you in to Sacha’s life and hopes. She is a strong, independent young woman in a time that did not always encourage this. She loved her Adventurer Grandfather and has so much faith in him. When he doesn’t return home from his adventure to the North Pole, she is not only devastated but her family becomes the butt of jokes of the unsinkable Davai.

Sacha knows in her heart that her Grandfather’s ship did not sink. She does her own research and discovers a secret that could unlock the mystery. But no one would listen to her, not even her own family. She was forced to make a difficult decision – to follow her heart or follow her parents wishes. She chooses to follow her heart.

This is when the story really evolves and we see this strong side of Sacha. She is so much more than anyone gave her credit for. We watch her grow and mature into a young woman who her Grandfather would have been so proud of. As we follow her brave and dangerous adventure, you are left on the edge of your seat – nervous and excited for her.

Long Way North is a beautiful and unique movie, with an interesting plot and beautifully played accompanying music. The graphics are not your typical, animated graphics but suit the story perfectly. A fantastic family movie for every member of the house!

Find out more about the movie on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The movie will be released on September 30th, 2016 and you can find a full listing of theatres here.

Disclosure: I received an advance screening of this movie in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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