A boy travels across an island on a motorcycle, trying to escape a dark spirit and get back home. Along the way he makes a series of connections with different animals and reflects on the possible ways he ended up on the island. A film by Gints Zilbalodis.

Regaining consciousness, a boy finds himself dangling from a tree branch, saved by a parachute. Presumably, a mysterious accident forced him to escape the plane by parachute. He surveys his surroundings and discovers a seemingly endless desert stretching out around him. Panic sets in as a shadowy giant figure emerges from the misty sand and approaches him.

The shadowy giant attempts to consume the boy. The boy, gradually descending into darkness, resists. He quickly unstraps his parachute, dropping himself to the ground, and starts to flee. The shadowy giant looks stunned, turning its head toward the boy. As the boy runs away, it follows him. A moment later, the boy is surprised to see a gigantic arch made of black stone. He quickly runs through it and follows the black path leading him to two black mountains with a mysterious circular hole between them. The relentless shadowy giant keeps trailing the boy.

Inside, the boy discovers a motorcycle parked on a ledge overlooking an endless ocean. This suggests he’s now on an island. The place appears to be an oasis in the middle of the desert, and likely sacred, as the shadowy giant is unable to enter. Here, the oasis is filled with a pond of fresh water and trees bearing delicious fruits. The boy befriends a tiny, yellow bird that can’t fly.

The boy wanders around the oasis, spotting the shadowy giant still standing guard at the entrance. As he explores further, he discovers an old backpack hanging on a branch of a tree. Inside the backpack, he finds a treasure trove of supplies: a compass, a telescope, a matchbox, a folding knife, a water canteen, a sleeping bag, a motorcycle key, and a postcard-sized map of the island. The map depicts a pathway stretching across the island to a port town on the far end.

The boy attempts to leave the oasis on the motorcycle. As he nears the entrance, a flock of white birds soars across the sky above him. The yellow bird, desperate to follow, struggles to take flight. The shadowy giant, noticing the yellow bird, kneels down and forms a shadow ball, aiming to consume it. Shocked, the boy races towards the shadow ball to save the yellow bird. He manages to reach inside, snatches the yellow bird, and retreats back into the safety of the oasis.

That night, the boy grapples with the decision of whether to leave this sanctuary. Wandering further, he stumbles upon a drawing on the cave wall depicting a dark giant guarding the entrance, eerily similar to his own earlier sketch. Venturing deeper, he discovers a skeleton with several similar drawings behind it, suggesting the fate of a man who once resided here. This discovery solidifies the boy’s resolve to leave. He gathers fruits for his journey and sets off on the motorcycle, the yellow bird nestled securely in his backpack. The shadowy giant, a relentless presence, stalks them wherever they go, its movements silent and menacing.

Intricately directed and animated by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, who also penned the screenplay and composed the scores, Away is a visually breathtaking animated feature that showcases some of the most enchanting and captivating background environments.

The film feels deeply personal, features no dialogue or narration, leaves room for interpretation, inviting viewers on a mysterious odyssey through a world both hauntingly beautiful and unsettlingly strange.

While some may argue the lack of exposition leads to ambiguity, I find Zilbalodis’ decision to forego traditional storytelling conventions results in a thought-provoking viewing experience. The very ambiguity that initially welcomes interpretation can also leave viewers uncertain about the true nature of events unfolding on screen. Are we witnessing the filmmaker’s intended vision, or are we constructing our own narrative based on the imagery presented?

Away premiered at the Animafest Zagreb on 4 June 2019. It was also presented at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 10 June, where it won Contrechamp Award. The film was theatrically released in Latvia on 15 November, and in the United States on 29 November.

Prix Contrechamp (Contrechamp Award) was first introduced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2007. It is a competition section for feature films that don’t quite fit into the main competition but that the festival would like to showcase. The Contrechamp section is significant because it allows the festival to highlight a wider variety of animated feature films, including works that may be more experimental or unconventional.