“Born
among a band of robbers to
parents who adore her, a young girl
meets and becomes very attached to a
young man from a rival band and cannot
see how she could ever be with him in
the wonderful animé from Studio Ghibli, Ronja: The Robber’s Daughter...”
FROM HER BIRTH, SURROUNDED BY the band of robbers to which her parents, robber
chief Mattis (voice of Rufus Hound) and his wife Lovis (voice of Morwenna Banks)
belong, Ronja (voice of Teresa Gallagher) grows up feeling loved and blessed
and is truly happy. On the night of her birth in the middle of an electrical
storm, the huge castle in which the robbers live is split in two by lightning.
The chasm that has opened up between the two parts is known as Hell's Gap, and
the robbers live in one side of the castle, which is surrounded by a large forest.
The bandits have a rival for the contraband stolen from travellers through the
forest; the ruthless robber chief Borka (Bob Golding).
“Ronja:
The Robber’s
Daughter —
fantastic, well-observed
and visually pleasing...
Myth, magic and
imagination!”
Blissfully
unaware that her family are on the wrong side of the law and knowing no life
other than the confines of the castle, Ronja reaches the tender age of ten,
when her father thinks it is time for her to discover the forest for herself.
She is excited to have her first taste of freedom, but her father warns her
to be careful not to fall into Hell's Gap, to swim if she falls into water,
to stay away from Borka's robbers and the grey elves — strange little creatures
with bright red eyes — and to beware of the dangerous Harpies. He cautions
her that she must be back before dark.
Little does she realise that her happiness will be threatened and her loyalties
divided when she meets young Birk (voice of Kelly Adams), the son of her father's
enemy, in an unexpected place; and that the antagonism they first have towards
each other will be replaced by an enduring friendship.
Ronja's reaction to her surroundings is very touching as she experiences the
wonders of the forest for the first time. The trees, the flowers, the fast-flowing
river, the waterfall and the benign woodland creatures are beyond her wildest
dreams; and so caught up is she in the moment that Ronja has not realised that
the light is fading fast. The dangers of the forest to a ten-year-old child
on her own soon become very apparent to her…
This utterly charming and well-observed tale translates exceptionally well from
page to screen. Based on the beloved novel of the same name by acclaimed Swedish
writer Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking), Ronja: The Robber's Daughter
in the hands of the legendary Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away) has become
a fantastic, well-observed and visually pleasing 26-part story of adventure
and friendship. Myth, magic and imagination!
Ronja: The Robber's Daughter also features the voices of: Jules de Jongh
as The Harpy; Adrian Edmondson as Noodle Pete; Ish Fredman as Musician A; Rasmus
Hardiker as Fjosok; Paul Mari as Passenger; Jeff "Swampy" Marsh as Musician
B; and Giles New as Lill-Klippen.
Music is by Satoshi Takebe; The Call of Spring Music by Hiroko Taniyama;
Original Japanese Lyrics by Goro Miyazaki (English Lyrics: Gavin Alexander and
David Freedman); Arranged by Andreas Lindgren, Mathias Lindgren and Jonathan
Vincent; Vocals by Lola Moxom; The Wolf Song Music by Satoshi Takebe,
Original Japanese Lyrics by Goro Miyazaki, based on The Wolf Song by
Astrid Lindberg (English lyrics by Gavin Alexander and David Freedman); Vocals
by Jess Robinson; Translated from the original Japanese by Taro Goto; Executive
Producers are: Nobuto Ariyoshi, Atsuko Kashiwagi, Keisuke Tsuchihashi and Toyoki
Ota; Produced by David Freedman and Geoffrey Wexler; Producer is Nobuo Kawakami;
and Directed by Miya Zaki. In Association with Studio Ghibli and Saltkåkan,
The Astrid Lindberg Company.
*
STUDIOCANAL
announces the release of the highly anticipated first-ever television series
from Studio Ghibli of Ronja: The Robber's Daughter, available in the
UK on DVD and Blu-ray on 4 December 2017. Certificate: PG | Running Time: 10
hours 51 minutes | Episodes: 26 Episodes on 4 Discs | Extras: Interview with
Goro Miyazaki | Press Conference | Making of Parts 1-5.
"Ronja: The Robber's Daughter… fantastic, well-observed and visually
pleasing… Myth, magic and imagination!" — ****
Maggie Woods, MotorBar
"Masterful, magical exploration of life itself" — Collider.com
"Wondrous world of peril and magic" — The Guardian
“Born
among a band of robbers to