‘Forgotten Island’ Proves the Power of Friendship
Written by Ember Ryan. Graphic by Miha Palancha.
Why is it so important to value our friendships?
DreamWorks ‘ new film, “Forgotten Island,” answers this question through the lifelong friendship between Jo and Raissa. As director, Joel Crawford accepted the Creative Impact Award at SCAD’s Animation Film Festival; his passion and love for the film were clear through his speech and the depth of the characters in the film.
“Forgotten Island” allows audiences to understand that family can be chosen, that different backgrounds do not equate to success, and that loneliness and hate are what create a villain. When humanity is brought to a film, it will always resonate with people.
In the film, we see these characters’ friendship bloom and strengthen as they get older. We see conflict arise as they grapple with being separated: Raissa is going to Caltech, and Jo is staying in the Philippines, where they both grew up. Jo does not want to squash her friend’s dreams, yet she can’t understand why Raissa would want to move so far away and tries to convince her to stay in the Philippines.
When they both find a magic sand dollar from the mythical island Jo’s grandmother told them about, they jump at the opportunity to see it for themselves. They meet friends along the way, such as Raww, who is a weredog and guide for Jo and Raissa, as well as villains such as Manang. Jo and Raissa grow to see the beauty and danger of the island as they try to find their way back home without losing memories of their friendship.
Family can be whoever you love, and this is especially the case with Jo and Raissa, who became sisters to each other within their journey. Having a best friend can mean having someone to help you achieve your goals and celebrate success. It also means helping a struggling friend and supporting them through tough times. If you have a best friend, they will help you remember your best version of yourself so that you both can grow together. Jo’s parents are out of the picture, and she is raised by her grandmother. It’s Jo’s grandmother who reminds her that family, like Jo, can be chosen too.
For Jo, Raissa is her family, and when the news arrives that Raissa is moving away, it leaves her feeling that she cares more about the friendship than Raissa does. When they both realize that they need each other in their lives because of the love that they share, they understand that distance cannot ruin the friendship, and they both can achieve their goals as long as they are best friends. Although Jo and Raissa come from different backgrounds, this does not mean that they cannot both be successful. Friends can be a shoulder to lean on to reach success.
While Joel was answering questions during the screening of “Forgotten Island,” he said, “Don’t let other people’s success be your failure.”
This is a lesson that Jo learns throughout the film. Jo goes through a loss that consequently makes her lose her drive to chase her passion of telling stories and creating art. In contrast, Raissa is constantly pushed towards striving to be the best by her parents and reaches her goal of getting into Caltech.
By the end of the film, Jo realizes that Raissa can go to Caltech, and Jo can celebrate that while trying to work towards her own dreams. At the end of the movie, we see that Jo has made great achievements of her own. Best friends who encourage you will lead to prosperity and success no matter how or where you grew up.
The two villains in this movie are so compelling because they both have a clear reason as to why they are villains. Joel mentioned during SCAD’s Animation Festival how “the biggest sickness in the world is loneliness.” The villains Bungi and Manang both suffer from being lonely and having no one to share memories, laughter, and love with. They are both secluded with no friends to rely on.
We see how this can affect someone and take away their humanity. Bungi is afraid to leave her house, so she steals other people’s memories, and Manang has turned evil after having a memory stolen from Bungi. Manang’s hatred towards the world displays the dangers of what we can become without memories that make us who we are. When Jo and Raissa prove the impact of memories and how powerful they can be when shared with a loved one, Bungi finally understands that what she has been doing is wrong. After giving back the missing memory that made Manang lose her compassion, there is a shift in Manang that brings the light in her eyes back.
Within this movie, there are many points where actions are shown rather than told, and there are moments where we are left to interpret certain meanings. Manang’s missing memory as well as Jo’s journey from the Philippines to Caltech are not shown, but we understand the importance of these moments for both characters. Moments like these allow viewers to contemplate the themes of the movie, and it is clear that Joel put thought into which parts would make us reflect the most. Joel mentions that as an artist, it is important to bring individualism and humanity to whatever you do.
This is not only important for an animator or a storyteller, but within any art that involves sharing your craft. In order to share your art with the world, it needs to be meaningful. If you can’t find any meaning within the art that you make, it will be hard for anyone else to find meaning and connect with it as well. Forgotten Island is so memorable because Joel has taken inspiration from his friendships as well as his wife and her experiences growing up in the Philippines.
When Joel was accepting his award, he said, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”
This stands out because it is connected to the film as well as Jo and Raissa’s relationship as a whole. By understanding the memories that they have shared in the past and how they have grown together, they can look towards the future and know that they will always thrive as long as they have each other. Valuing friendships is so important because they are such an integral part of our lives. They shape who we are and push us to our highest potential.
