A new animated film is gracing our cinemas this summer. Ozi: Voice of the Forest tells the story of a young orangutan on a grand adventure1. At first glance, it has all the hallmarks of an inoffensive, pleasing family film.

It follows young Ozi, an orangutan, as she overcomes tragedy and battles against malign forces, particularly a heartless corporation destroying her forest home, in her quest to reunite her family and achieve justice. The film is unapologetically political, promoting an environmental message.

There is a certain irony in Leonardo DiCaprio, who is credited as a behind-the-scenes producer, coming out with such a strong environmental message through this film. DiCaprio has received more than his fair share of criticism for his green credentials over the years.

In 2016, he was caught clocking up 8,000 miles in his private jet on his way to accept an environmental award2. His mega-yacht, where he likes to holiday, is thought to burn 300 gallons of diesel fuel every hour and produce 238 kg of carbon dioxide per mile. A typical car would take two months to produce that kind of carbon output3.

Unfortunately, much like DiCaprio’s eco-CV, the film’s story does not hold water. It presents a barnstorming political message, but with an oversimplified narrative where the facts do not stack up. Greenzar, the evil corporation acting as the film’s villain, is a producer of palm oil. The film is enthusiastic about vilifying palm oil and convincing its audience that its production is destroying the natural world, not least the habitat of vulnerable orangutans like Ozi.

In reality, palm oil is a sustainability success story. According to Global Forest Watch, there has been an enormous fall in forest loss thanks to palm oil production4. That is especially true in countries like Malaysia, one of the world’s top palm oil producing nations, where 83% of palm oil is now produced under a ‘no deforestation’ commitment5.

In fact, Malaysia has gone out of its way to show its commitment to its forests. Its commitments include planting 17 million trees as part of the ‘Greening Malaysia’ reforestation campaign6 and an 800,000-hectare orangutan sanctuary, which does not resemble the cartoonish zoo-like facilities depicted in Ozi7.

The results of this sustainability trend are clear for all to see. Well, over 90% of the palm oil imported into Europe is certified sustainable, meaning it did not cause deforestation8.That doesn’t happen by accident. It is only possible thanks to a concerted effort by both government and industry to make production of palm oil environmentally sustainable, which was in turn driven by worldwide consumer desire for eco-friendly products.

Palm oil contributes more than half of the world’s edible oils and fats exports while taking up just 0.38% of global agricultural land9. Contrary to the version of events presented by Ozi, it is a green miracle. The creators of Ozi’s animated universe ignoring these real-world facts is not a mere oversight, nor can it be put down to poetic licence.

The film seems designed to not just ignore the facts but present their exact opposite to its audience. If film producers choose to venture into complicated areas like this with a bold, no-holds-barred, moralistic message, it is not too much for us as viewers to ask that they double-check their facts first.

On the plus side, Ozi’s animation is visually pleasing. The colours are bright, and the motion is smooth, making the film a pleasure to look at. Sadly, all that is compromised by the tainted storytelling.

Perhaps makers of films, especially those aimed at children, would be better off steering clear of contentious and complicated political issues altogether, focussing on the warmth of wholesome characters and satisfying stories, instead of getting caught up in knotty scientific and political debates. That way, wholesome family fun would remain just that, without becoming poisoned by politics.

References

1 Technicolor Group (2024).
2 Koimoi (2023).
3 Autoevolution (2022).
4 WRI (2024).
5 Sustainable Palm Oil Choice (nd).
6 Bernama (2024).
7 MPOC (2020).
8 RSPO (2022).
9 The Star (2020).