This Thursday, the long-awaited animated film The Red Turtle premieres in movie theaters in Latin America, marking a milestone for fans of the genre and, in particular, for admirers of Studio Ghibli. This work, directed by Michaël Dudok de Wit and co-produced by the legendary Japanese studio with Wild Bunchis presented as a visual fable without dialogue that explores the great cycles of human existence.

The feature film had its world premiere in May 2016 during the Cannes Film Festivalwhere he surprised the public from the first moment. When the logo appears Studio Ghibli On screen, the traditional image of Totoro on a light blue background was replaced by a red background and a black silhouette, a direct nod to the title of the film and a sign of its unprecedented nature within the history of the studio.

For the first time, Ghibli co-produced a film outside of Japan and under the direction of a foreign director.. This uniqueness was reflected in the recognition it obtained: The Red Turtle received the Jury Prize in the section A Certain Look and, months later, it was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

The plot follows a man who, after being shipwrecked in the middle of a storm, wakes up on a wild, deserted island. Surrounded by turtles, crabs, birds and the silence of the ocean, the protagonist tries to escape by building rafts, but a mysterious force prevents him from leaving the place.

This force is manifested in the figure of a majestic red turtle, whose encounter will transform your destiny. From that moment on, the story unfolds without words, recounting the formation of a family, the challenges imposed by nature, losses and the eternal cycle of life.

The film is supported by powerful images, silences loaded with meaning and a soundtrack composed by Laurent Perez del Marwhich accompanies each emotion with subtlety and depth. Beyond its visual appearance, The Red Turtle stands as a lively poem that addresses universal themes such as loneliness, love, repentance and reconciliation. own Isao Takahataproducer and founder of Studio Ghiblihighlighted the achievement of the work by stating: "Michael has managed to describe the truth of life, in a simple but profound way, and with true heart. It is an amazing achievement."

(Photos: courtesy Soy Prensa)