'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival screened several exciting films from January 23 to February 2, 2025. Among them was The Legend of Ochi, directed by renowned music video director Isaiah Saxon. This film marked his debut as a movie director, in association with A24. The Legend of Ochi made its theatrical debut on April 25, 2025, in cinemas across the US.
When asked about the movie's vintage, dreamlike setting in an interview with Collider from February 5, 2025, Saxon explains that the movie was shot through an original Baltar lens from the 1930s
"We used the original Baltars from the '30s. They're the first commercially produced cinema lens in the United States and shot movies like Casablanca.", he said.
Saxon admitted that he tested multiple lenses to film this movie, ensuring he was able to capture the right vibe.
Trending
"...that was the first generation of Baltars. They were the first American company to make lenses. And like any director and cinematographer who is passionate, you test 100 lenses."
Saxon reveals how the Baltar lenses gave The Legend of Ochi its dreamlike visuals
Director Isaiah Saxon elaborated on the team's efforts to capture the soft, dream-like visuals this fantasy movie required.
"We tried anamorphic lenses and tested the (Panavision) lenses that shot Indiana Jones... yeah, we tested 100 lenses."
Saxon was determined to get the right visuals for his directorial debut. He joked about nearly breaking the Panavision lenses used for Indiana Jones while transporting them. However, he found his match with the Baltars.
"There are just certain image characteristics with older glass, and the Baltars have a particular swirly, out-of-focus bokeh, and that was important for making something that felt grand and classical and soft all at once."
He also expressed his disdain for using normal lenses to film this fantasy movie.
"I would never shoot with a modern, hyper-clinical, sharp lens. It just looks weird to me."
Saxon elaborated that movies these days focus too much on the quality and sharpness of video, and in doing so, lose sight of their impressionism.
Premise of The Legend of Ochi
Based in a fictional remote village on the European island of Carpathia, The Legend of Ochi follows teenager Yuri (Helena Zengel), who stumbles across an abandoned baby ochi, a mythical primate native to the island. Despite her father, Maxim's (Willem Dafoe) warnings, Yuri goes on a quest to return the lost creature to its family, encountering adventures and new experiences along the way.
The movie also features Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and Dune: Prophecy's Emily Watson. Filming began in November 2021 in the wilderness of Romania. Saxon even insisted on using puppets and animatronics instead of CGI.
The Legend of Ochi is now available to watch in cinemas across the US.
