Feature debut from Latvian film maker Gints Zilbalodis, a film that took 3 years to all come together, the time spent shows in this beautifully animated journey through these stunning lands.
Written by Elliot Lines
The story follows a boy who gets stranded within a tree, hung by his parachute. In the distance he sees a dark shadow moving towards him. This send him on a journey through unique settings; ‘Forbidden Oasis’, ‘Mirror Lake’, ‘Dream Well’ and ‘Cloud Harbour’. The nameless character only has a bird as a companion to help him on his quest to find civilisation.
In utter silence throughout, the film doesn't need to give you any narration to tell the story. It is not required to know any background information for these characters, whether that by the boy or his goliath pursuer. The story tells itself, expressing the fantastic imagery at play here, letting the art speak for itself.
Very similar to what Studio Ghibli would produce, the animation style here is almost unfinished, but this isn't a criticism. It manages to add depth to the look, there is something enticing about the style being used, only requiring some sound effects to reveal the sotry it is trying to tell.
The simplicity of Away is what give this a certain charm that will make it stand out above the rest. The film doesn't require context, there is no real urge to learn more about these characters, you are just forced to take this journey with them.
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