The Legend of Ochi

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In the new movie “The Legend of Ochi,” audiences can look forward to falling in love with a fresh creature during this summer’s film season. Directed by Isaiah Saxon for his first feature film, the A24 production takes us to Carpathia, an island where a peculiar species of primarily night-dwelling creatures known as the Ochi reside. The movie delves into the complex and misunderstood interactions between these creatures and the human inhabitants.

The unique charm of the Ochi arises from their one-of-a-kind features, surpassing even the captivating aspects like their title character’s blue baby face and fiery orange coat. A distinctive feature of the Ochi lies in their sound design.

In a recent conversation, ScreenRant had the opportunity to chat with Saxon, along with Emily Watson, Finn Wolfhard, and Helena Zengel, to delve into the intricacies of creating the Ochi characters and discuss how the actors forged an emotional bond with these on-screen creatures.

Director Isaiah Saxon Discovered The Ochi’s Sound On YouTube

“I searched high and low for inspiration…”

Contrary to popular belief as a myth, the main characters in “The Legend of Ochi” are based on a real-life personality who is active on YouTube.

Director Isaiah Saxon disclosed that from the start, the aim was to construct a convincing primate language with a melodious tone, resembling dolphin and bird sounds. After extensive searching for inspiration, he discovered Paul Manalatos, a YouTube throat whistler, who showcased his unique talent in a single video filmed in his basement. Manalatos nonchalantly demonstrated the sound that became known as the Ochi’s sound.

Instead of just relying on Manalatos’ video for reference, Saxon chose to personally involve the one-time YouTuber in the production process.

Saxon shared, “I connected with him, and he began recounting his life tale that mirrored the girl’s story in the film. He grew up without his mother, finding solace in black metal and throat singing. It was truly astonishing.” Later, we managed to record him for two days, and during this time, he acted just like any other actor, delivering all the required emotional nuances, but with a unique twist – incorporating throat whistled chirps.

As a cinephile, I played around with a touch of Mockingbird and Raven, amping up the grandeur for the larger Ochi scenes by occasionally incorporating some whale sounds. One of the most enjoyable parts of the process was sculpting its unique sonic landscape and musical character. Collaboratively, my partner, composer Meara O’Reilly, and I transformed this into a symphonic pocket symphony.

What initially drew one of the most prominent figures involved in the production of “The Legend of Ochi” was the unique method they employed to breathe life into the story.

Saxon turned to Emily Watson and commented, “You let me know you’d seen the movie ‘Proper Weirdos,’ and that you thought it was good,” to which she replied, “I understood exactly what you meant.

Watson exclaimed, “I felt an instant desire to be there!” she said. Later, during the costume fitting, she exclaimed, “Wow, I absolutely adore this!

Watson portrays Dasha, a former inhabitant of Carpathia who has a complex past with the island’s residents, including both Ochi and humans.

Watson reminisced about the initial impression, “This was unexpected, like taking a whiff of something new and intriguing, somewhat odd, yet delightfully pungent in an extraordinary way.” He appreciated that it was a children’s film with a beautiful, uplifting, and positive narrative, but it featured adults who were far from typical characters in such stories. In this tale, he portrayed a mother who casually proposes smoking a cigarette during a heart-to-heart counseling session with a child.

Helena Zengel & Finn Wolfhard’s Take Themselves To Carpathia

“It was kind of a dream come true…”

In this movie, the young protagonist role is portrayed excellently by Helena Zengel, a 16-year-old actress from Germany. She takes on the character of Yuri, a human who develops an emotional bond with an injured Ochi, which ultimately serves as the foundation for the entire film’s storyline.

Initially, I wasn’t certain whether the script’s creatures would be computer-generated or not, nor how involved I’d be with them during filming,” Zengel shared when asked about her connection with the creatures. “However, once I learned it would be a puppet and there would be people on set who would provide its movements and sounds, my excitement soared.

As a youngster, I had numerous puppets that I firmly believed could talk; however, I could never hear them. This experience felt like a fulfillment of my dreams, as the puppets appeared incredibly lifelike, almost as if they were real people rather than toys.

In the movie, not every child portrayed is equally considerate towards the primates. Finn Wolfhard plays Petro, who serves as Maxim’s (Willem Dafoe) chief in the nightly expeditions into the Ochi region.

Petro is struggling internally because deep down, he’s a kind-hearted individual who seems genuinely concerned for Yuri and animals in general, or people more than his actions suggest,” Wolfhard explained. “On the other hand, Maxim has been the only father figure he’s had. He’s trying to appease these people, yet at the same time, he wants to be there for his adopted sister. However, a harmful masculine influence holds him back, and he’s torn between wanting to please these two different kinds of people.

Although they portrayed somewhat toxic characters on-screen, seasoned actors like Dafoe and Watson set an exemplary tone on set. This positive influence allowed the film’s younger cast members to learn about acting simply by observing their behavior.

What truly astounds me, particularly from Willem and Emily, is their consistency in portraying the same emotion during each scene,” Zengel admired. “Their ability to cry passionately hundreds of times without faltering leaves me speechless. It’s astonishingly realistic every time, even when they scream in panic or frustration hundreds of times without a single complaint.

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2025-04-25 23:18