The Red Turtle

Story

The Red Turtle is a wordless animated film about a man who is shipwrecked on a deserted island. Each time he tries to escape, his raft is destroyed by a giant red turtle. In his anger he accidentally kills the turtle but is then overcome with remorse. The next morning he finds an unconscious woman inside the turtle’s shell. He revives and cares for her, and slowly they fall in love. Time passes, seasons change, they have a son, grow old…

Why we chose it

The Red Turtle is a sweet and simple story about love and nature and the milestones in human lives.

The film was praised for its moving story, its meditative soundtrack of natural sounds and music, and its striking blend of hand-drawn and digital animation. It was the first East-West collaboration by the legendary Studio Ghibli in Japan, and appeals across ages, languages and cultures.

Where it came from

Michael Dukok de Wit was born in Holland, studied animation in the UK and works from a shed in North London, making short films, advertisements and children’s picture books. His favourite films include Fantasia, Bicycle Thieves and Seven Samurai.

In 2000 he won an Oscar for an 8-minute animation, Father and Daughter. Hayao Miyazaki, founder of Studio Ghibli, watched this and invited Dukok de Wit to work with him. Animated by Wild Bunch in France, under the supervision of Dukok de Wit, this was the first Studio Ghibli film made outside Japan. It took 10 years to complete and was hailed as a masterpiece.

Associated stories

Dukok de Wit has illustrated the Oscar and Hoo books written by Theo, about a boy and his friend, a cloud.