The Red Turtle (2016)

"The Red Turtle: A Meditation on Be Here Now"
In Michael Dudok de Wit's masterful animated film, a simple narrative becomes a profound exploration of human resilience and spiritual surrender. Without a single spoken word, the film communicates a universal truth: we are precisely where we are meant to be, even when that reality feels like a constraint.
The story follows a castaway on a deserted island, initially consumed by the urge to escape. His repeated attempts to build rafts, only to have them mysteriously destroyed, mirror our human tendency to resist our current circumstances. The red turtle - more a spiritual guide than a mere animal - becomes the catalyst for transformation.
Visually stunning, with a delicate, watercolor-like animation style, the film breathes life into its minimalist landscape. Each frame is meticulously composed, each movement deliberate. The timing is exquisite, allowing moments of tension and release to resonate deeply.
What elevates this film is its universal message: true liberation comes not from fighting our situation, but from accepting it. The protagonist's journey is less about physical survival and more about spiritual awakening.
A profound, poetic meditation on life's cycles and the art of being present.

A young man finds himself shipwrecked on a tropical island with only the coconuts and friendly, mischievous, fauna for company. He's pretty ill-equipped for his new lifestyle and is gradually starving! What to do? Well he has a go at building a raft, but each time he sets off it ends up as little more than kindling. After one such incident, he concludes that his antagonist is a beautiful sea turtle that he has observed nearby. When it comes onto land one day, he flips it over and leaves it to perish in the hot sun. Magic has an hand to play now, though, as the creatures morphs into a young woman with whom he gradually starts to bond and... The animation and soundtrack on this dialogue-free feature are gorgeous. The story itself has a brevity and engagingly fantastic nature to it. What makes something paradise? What keeps something paradise? It felt a little long at ninety minutes and don't be expecting any great conclusions at the end, but it still flew by and I really liked it's simplicity.