Ahead of the release of this much-anticipated animated movie – based on a Michael Morpurgo story, boasting the voices of Cillian Murphy, Sally Hawkins and Ken Watanabe, and produced by Cardiff company Bumpy Box – Jack Stacey considers Kensuke’s Kingdom in both an ecological and a Welsh context.
The beautiful hand-drawn, animated film Kensuke’s Kingdom is a living, breathing reminder of both the power – and fragility – of nature. Based on the Michael Morpurgo novel, it tells the story of Michael, a young boy who is washed ashore on an island paradise, inhabited by the mysterious Kensuke and his orangutans.
This gorgeous animation, which made by Lupus Films and Cardiff-based production company Bumpy Box, and has a host of other Welsh connections including the film’s art director Michael Shorten, stars Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins and Cillian Murphy. It has a message that is more pertinent now than ever before: the exotic and the everyday need our help.
It is so easy to get lost in Kensuke’s Kingdom. The jaw-dropping artwork and animation drenches the island and the ocean in sweeping, kaleidoscopic colour. Michael and Kensuke’s relationship and their encounters with devious poachers bring the world around them to life. For many of us, it’s the exoticism of the world and its wildlife that casts a spell and draws us in.
But it’s that word, exotic, that stands out. When we in the UK, or in Europe, think of exotic, we do indeed think of Kensuke’s kingdom. We think of vines crisscrossing jungle treelines, of sparkling azure lakes, and of glittering white beaches; birds of paradise, orangutans, and multicoloured, faraway animals.
And when we think of the threat that this exotic world faces through deforestation, poaching and climate change, we quite rightly are moved to support and take action; to protect that which is remarkable, diverse, and beautiful.
But it’s worth remembering that to those on the other side of the planet – to those like Kensuke – our timeless Welsh landscapes are just as exotic to him as his island is to us. Perhaps if he were to see the ancient standing stones among the purple heather of the darkening Preseli hills, he might be in awe of the immense mythology of our country. Should he stand in the doorway of Dolbadarn castle, gazing across the mists of Llyn Peris, he might be drawn into the magic and majesty of a place so different to his own.
Perhaps if Kensuke were to see the flap of kingfisher’s wing, or the flash of a puffin’s beak, or the snap of a red squirrel’s tale, or the sparkle of sun-bathed seals, he may well be as enamoured as we are with his orangutans and scarlet macaws. The point: everywhere is exotic to someone. And that exoticism, that diversity, wherever it is, must be protected and preserved.
In the UK, one in six of our native species are at risk of going extinct. Our wildlife levels are down to a third since we started recording in 1970. We are one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet. Our country, so exotic to those living different lives in distant lands, is under threat.
Our adders might disappear from our countryside by 2032. The hedgehog may be extinct by 2025. Hazel dormice have decreased by over 40% since 2000 alone. Imagine Kensuke’s Kingdom without its most vibrant inhabitants – this might be the future we face for Britain.
But this film is as much about hope for the future as it is about the threats of the present, and in this increasingly spun-out analogy, we have as much a role as Kensuke and Michael have in protecting our own natural kingdoms.
Whether it’s our exotic or our everyday, Wales is as much worth protecting as the island painted so wonderfully onto each frame of Kensuke’s Kingdom. Our nature is baked into our poetry, our identity, and our legends. Our mountains and coastlines are famous the world over. And we can, and are, making a difference.
So if you’re interested in standing up for a country that’s home to us and fantastically exotic to others around the world, you can discover new ways to help with the Welsh arms of charities like WWF, Friends Of The Earth or Wildlife Trust.
Kensuke’s Kingdom is released on Fri 2 Aug. Find your nearest screening here.
words JACK STACEY
This article was commissioned by Film Hub Wales as part of its Made In Wales project, which celebrates films with Welsh connections, thanks to funding from Creative Wales and the National Lottery via the BFI.
