The trailer for “The Legend of Ochi,” confirms what I had heard a few months back about this peculiar film. ‘Ochi’ is said to be gorgeously shot, but totally bewildering.
Isaiah Saxon is the director, and he’s mostly known for his music videos (Grizzly Bear, Björk, Panda Bear). Saxon also co-founded the animation studio Encyclopedia Pictura and the online community DIY.org. His music video style is whimsical and visually creative. ‘Ochi’ is his first feature-length film.
“The Legend Of Ochi,” which hints at magical-surrealist fantasy movie, not to mention coming of age tropes, tackles a young girl who makes friends with a forest creature believed to be dangerous and feral. Her entire community tries to stop her from reuniting this creature with its rightful family
The film, which was shot in November 2021 (!!!), stars Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Finn Wolfhard and Helena Zengel. It is set to arrive in theaters on February 28, 2025. I fully expect it to have its world premiere at Sundance in January.