Felix, in search of the treasure of M. – Félix et le trésor de Morgäa (2021)

Directed by: Nicola Lemay | 85 minutes | animation, adventure | Dutch voice cast: Julius de Vriend, Linda Verstraten, Leo Richardson, Jonathan Demoor, Sjoerd Oomen, Remi de Smet, Daphne Flint, Rosalie de Jong, Jelle Amersfoort, Ivan Pecnik, Isabel Commandeur

Canadian Nancy Florence Savard founded her own animation film production company 10th Ave Productions at the beginning of the 21st century, with the aim of creating compelling and original animated films for family audiences around the world. It took a whopping 12 years for Quebec-based 10th Ave Productions to launch its first CGI animated film. ‘The Legend of Sarila’ (2013) was the first 3D animated film to be produced and financed entirely in Canada. What was special about the film was that the habits and customs of the Inuit, the original inhabitants of Northern Canada and Greenland, were the source of inspiration for the story. In doing so, Savard immediately showed that she has an eye for traditions and cultures that might otherwise not be discussed, but that she dares to give it her own twist. With her first film, she immediately won many awards, including the Birks Diamond Tribute, a special award for the woman who has distinguished herself in the film industry that year. After ‘The Legend of Sarila’ followed ‘Haan Doodle-Doo’ (2014) and ‘Mission Kathmandu: The Adventures of Nelly and Simon’ (2017); Savard also manages to put himself in the spotlight with those films.

And now there’s ‘Felix, in search of M’s treasure.’ (2021), a film that was released in the middle of the corona pandemic, but nevertheless managed to attract countless Canadian families to the cinemas ‘when the weather was allowed’. The film is based on an original idea by director Nicola Lemay, who did not immediately see a film in it but was persuaded by Savard to try it anyway. She joined forces with screenwriter Marc Robitaille to put a thorough script on paper. That Savard wanted to take it seriously is apparent from the fact that she set up an animation branch of her production house especially for this film, sought collaboration with five other studios in Quebec and employed more than two hundred people. It took over two years to complete the film and there was another pandemic in between, but the result is impressive. Savard wanted to make a film from her own Quebec and she succeeded. “The story is set in the unique setting of Îles de la Madeleine, with its towering rust-colored dunes and iconic lighthouses guiding sailors to safety,” said Savard. Much information came from art director Philippe Arseneau, whose parents have lived on one of the islands for years.

The film focuses on twelve-year-old Felix, an adventurous boy who lives with his mother and baby sister. His father went to sea two years ago and no one has seen him or heard from him since. For his mother, the constant care for her children is quite heavy and so she would like to take a break for a few days. She asks her sister to babysit the children, but Felix has other plans. He is firmly convinced that his father is still alive and, under the guise of an excuse, secretly sets out to find him. He is assisted by the retired sailor Tom. Also cat Boeffie, who is going through an identity crisis and thinks he is a dog, and Squawk, Tom’s one-legged parrot, join the adventure. Together they brave the raging waters to arrive at the island where his father is said to have gone. The megalomaniac Morgäa, who possesses a hidden treasure that grants people eternal youth, rules the island. Let her just be an old acquaintance of Tom…

“Felix, looking for M’s treasure.” combines cheerful, colorful and droll animations with a meticulous eye for detail for the flora, fauna and landscape of Quebec. It is clear that the makers are overflowing with love for the region they come from. The animations are not as lifelike or cuddly or tangible as we know from Disney/Pixar, for example, but instead uses enlargements. Figures with very large, protruding noses, for example. Or with very thin legs. The somewhat alienating appearance of the characters does not distract from the theme: the makers of ‘Felix, in search of M’s treasure.’ clearly place the safety of the family as a high priority. Felix eagerly longs to see his father again, who he is convinced is still alive, even though he has not seen him for two years. Another message that Savard and co. wanting to propagate is that eternal youth is an illusion. Embrace aging like Captain Tom does. With Felix, 10th Ave has created an endearing young hero that children can identify with without too much trouble. Incidentally, a sequel film with Felix in the lead role has already been announced.

If we can call it a minus: the joke density could have been a bit higher. The fun now comes mainly from the animal sidekicks, but there could have been more. But beyond that is ‘Felix, in search of the treasure of M.’ an original, charming and cheerful animation film that the whole family will enjoy.