Raya and the last dragon will take viewers on an exciting, epic journey into the fantastic world of Kumandra, where long, long ago, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when the unusual land was threatened with destruction by the evil Druuns, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Five hundred years later, the evil forces returned and became a threat to Kumandra again. To save her country and unite her nation, the lonely warrior Raya must hunt down the legendary last dragon and destroy the Druuns.
Raya lost everything. All he has is his father’s sword, a Tuk Tuk friend, and a shard of a magic gem. As she goes in search of the last dragon, Sisu, she also hopes that it will help restore peace to her homeland. Explains producer Osnat Shurer.
On the way, however, he will learn that finding a dragon is not enough to do it. During the journey, the warrior will also have to discover the truth about herself. Her journey will be full of dangers, adventures, humor and new friendships. It will also be tinged with grief, loss, and anger born of the need to avenge wrongs. During the course, however, Raya will learn that in order to save the world, she will not only need a dragon, but also teamwork and mutual trust.
The second, extremely important character in the film is Sisiu, the legendary water dragon that Ray is tracking. The girl is looking for him because she hopes that the dragon will help her save Kumandra. In her long search, she is helped by her belief in the power of the dragon and that with its help she is able to save the inhabitants of her country and restore their happiness.
Qui Nguyen, who wrote the script with Adele Lim, talks about the idea behind the character of Sisu:
In various cultures in Asia, including Southeast Asia, dragons are loved and admired by people. These dragons, however, differ from those we know, for example, from “Game of Thrones”. They symbolize luck in life. They mean the will to live and fortitude. These values and meanings are very important to the story that derives from the culture of Southeast Asia, just like the main character of the film, Raya – says the screenwriter.
Sisu is a powerful dragon that is worshiped. At the same time, we tried to challenge the stereotypes of what a dragon should be like. So Sisu can be funny, thoughtless or clumsy. He appears in a world that has changed a lot and is leading a completely new life. There is something charming and fun about it. I think he’s just a cool comedy character , he says about his feelings for Sisu Nguyen.
The story of Rai’s travels has evolved over the course of several years of working on the film. However, the theme of unity and community remained unchanged, which was further expanded and refined when the directors Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada joined the film crew. It is a great educational dimension that teaches young viewers to build trust, the value of friendship and openness to cooperation.
The team did a great job looking for the ideas of unity and community and then deepening them , says Hall. ” Carlos and I, however, felt that building these ideas on the trust that is necessary to achieve unity would create a solid foundation on which we would base any decision regarding our heroine’s journey ,” the director says.
Screenwriter Adele Lim describes the mood in the film and its impact on the main character:
We wanted to make a film with a tone of joy and love for the world and family. With the story set in such a fantastic reality, we were looking for emotional anchors for our character and his journey, universal references to reality that would be understandable to the viewer. Raya loses her father and the world she grew up in. So understandable is her need to fight to restore order and regain her parent. We discovered the emotions accompanying the heroine, but at the same time we tried to make the film joyful, fun and full of adventures.
Raya and the Last Dragon is the first Walt Disney Animation Studios movie to feature Southeast Asia-inspired scenery. The stunning effect was the work of many filmmakers and researchers from around the world, some of whom had the chance to discover their own roots in the vibrant cultures of different countries.
Although Kumandra is a fantasy world, artists and filmmakers were inspired by the fabrics, colors and decorations that are actually present. In this way, they brought authenticity to the film and paid tribute to its traditions and customs.
The directors of Ray and the Last Dragon are Don Hall, creator of the Oscar-winning Disney movie Big Six , and Carlos López Estrada, whose directorial debut was the critically acclaimed Blinded . The directors are assisted by Paul Briggs, known for his work as head of the Frozen and Big Six stories division , as well as longtime animation writer and historian John Ripa. The screenplay was co-written by award-winning playwright and writer Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim.
The animation “Ray and the Last Dragon” debuted in Polish cinemas on July 2, 2021. Over 300,000 thousand viewers watched it. November 10 will be released on DVD. The edition also includes additional materials: the short film “We are again” and an introduction to it.