Forgotten Island

Wild Jo and intellectual Raisa are cut from very different cloth, yet a friendship with a capital ‘F’ blossoms between them. As best mates, they weather the trials of primary and secondary school. At the end of their school years, however, their first major challenge looms. Raisa is set to leave her hometown to continue her studies at university, whilst Jo faces the prospect of looking for a job. Their last evening together is far from easy; it’s as though they realise that their separate paths in life may never cross again. But then a mysterious portal opens up before them, leading to the mythical island of Nakali. Their grandmother had once told them stories about it and its mysterious inhabitants, and both girls had planned to go there before growing up robbed them of much of their imagination and ability to dream. This is one reason why they are both reluctant to take a step into the unknown – into the portal – yet it swallows them up mercilessly. Suddenly, Jo and Raisa find themselves in a world that operates according to its own rules, which are completely incomprehensible to them. It is inhabited by strange creatures, and at first it is difficult to tell whether they intend to help or harm the girls. Quite soon, the girls realise that their greatest enemy is the island itself, because it feeds on their memories. Will they manage to escape before they forget? Before they forget their past lives, their friendship?

The theme of friendship resonates strongly not only within the story, but was also central to the creative process itself. Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, who co-directed Kung Fu Panda 2, agreed that their friendship played a key role in the final result. “We like the same films, we laugh at the same things; this shared connection gave rise to some exceptional moments that wouldn’t otherwise have been in the film,” says director Crawford.