Red Turtle: Trapped by Beauty

Kelly Loosli, co-founder of the BYU Animation Program, discusses The Red Turtle (Dudok de Wit, 2017) and how it's a film with "spirit." The Red Turtle looks like a survival story, but its real escape may have nothing to do with leaving the island. This Studio Ghibli co-production uses almost no dialogue to turn loneliness, nature, love, and loss into a mystery that keeps changing the longer you sit with it. Heather and Kelly also discuss The Red Turtle meaning, its ambiguous ending, Michael Dudok de Wit’s minimalist visual storytelling, and why wordless animation can create such intense emotion. The conversation also challenges the assumption that animation is only for children, connecting The Red Turtle to Studio Ghibli, adult animation, and other films that tell profound stories through images, movement, sound, family, and nature. Kelly has worked extensively in live action and animation for commercials, television, and feature film for leading companies including DreamWorks Feature Animation and Buena Vista Motion Pictures. Subscribe to Voice Over for more film analysis, animation commentary, and conversations about the movies that change how we see cinema.