Lotte in search of the dragons – Lotte ja kadunud lohed (2019)

Directed by: Heiki Ernits, Janno Põldma | 71 minutes | animation | Dutch voice cast: Dennis Willekens, Huub Dikstaal, Nathalie Haneveld, Ida Verspaandonk

After an absence of about seven years (the previous ‘Lotte’ film appeared in Dutch cinemas in 2012), the Estonian girl dog Lotte is back for a new animation adventure: ‘Lotte in search of the dragons’. This time she has been given a special task: that of big sister!

Almost immediately after the birth – where ‘Lotte in search of the dragons’ begins – Lotte takes her sister Roosi outside, into Uitvindersdorp. Fortunately for Lotte, Roosi is not an independent baby, but she is just as curious and eager to learn as her big sister. They meet two professors, Karl (a raccoon) and Viktor (a fish, who lives in Karl’s breast pocket). They have set themselves the goal of recording the oldest folk songs. There is a contest where whoever manages to record the national anthem of the oldest animal species in the world – dragons – wins! But no one believes those dragons still exist. Lotte, however, has her remedies. The title says it all about what happens next.

Tallinn-born Heiki Ernits (1953) has been working on animation land since the 1980s. He has already received numerous prizes, but the two ‘Lotte’ films (‘Lotte van Uitvindersdorp’, 2006 and ‘Lotte en de Maansteen’, 2011), which he makes together with Janno Põldma, are by far the most distinguished. This third animated film already broke a record in its home country: after its opening weekend, it became the third best opening ever for an Estonian film. Lotte is a true phenomenon in the Baltic States; there are musicals, books, various merchandise and even an amusement park. That is not surprising, because it is an appealing character, who ends up in child-friendly, yet exciting situations.

Like its predecessors, ‘Lotte in search of the dragons’ consists of imaginative and unconventional drawings. The figures look less slick than in the average animation film, which will take some getting used to for children who are used to those mainstream films. But the story is fast paced and before you know it Lotte and Roosi are engaged in their adventure (with a somewhat Dora the Explorer-esque route to follow). With a playing time of just 70 minutes, this is also easy to sustain for the young viewers. Knowledge of the previous two films is not necessary.

The animation may be unconventional, but a lot of attention has been paid to it. Not everything is drawn, sometimes we see elements that have been incorporated with the help of CGI (eg Lotte’s mother’s wooden bed, or a stone wall). The latter is sometimes a bit annoying. However, you will have to search hard for a film that has more flowers than this one. That makes for a lot of cheerful colors. The simple story has a positive touch, it embraces the idea of ​​different cultures and traditions, which is of course a nice message to pass on to your children in this day and age. In addition, the film shows that it is better to approach new situations with an open mind. When Lotte has to cross the rainbow bridge, nobody expects the bridge to look like Ernits and Põldma designed it. ‘Lotte in search of the dragons’ is a safe choice for toddlers and preschoolers, because it never gets scary or dangerous. A film to feast your eyes on.