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Yoko

Yoko

Movie · 2012 · 11 people

Knister's children's book Yoko became this 2012 family adventure film in the German language, directed by Franziska Buch and told with young viewers in mind. Some animation is woven into its fantasy story. A co-production of Germany, Austria and Sweden, it was made under the Deutsche Columbia Pictures Filmproduktion banner and opened in Germany on 16 February 2012. Critics were mixed, and in 2012 it was nominated for the White Elephant Special Award.

The story shows how the life of Pia (Jamie Bick), who lost her father at the age of nine, changes when she meets a small yeti that can turn invisible. Pia names the friendly creature Yoko and tries to protect it from the animal hunter Thor van Sneider (Tobias Moretti). Jessica Schwarz plays the mother, Katja, Friedrich Heine plays Lukas and Lilly Reulein plays Marcella. Laurentsio Pettersson and Oskar Wallroth are credited for the role of Yoko, and the cast also includes Justus von Dohnányi, Hoang Dang-Vu and Ken Takemoto as the monk Lobsang.

Knister, Gerrit Hermans and Claudia Boysen wrote the screenplay together. Christoph Fisser and Danny Krausz produced, Jan Fehse was the cinematographer and Mark Yaeger composed the music. The film runs 103 minutes.

DirectorFranziska Buch
Production companyDeutsche Columbia Pictures Filmproduktion

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Cast

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Jamie Bick Jamie Bick Actor · 26 years old Jessica Schwarz Tobias Moretti Justus von Dohnányi Lilly Reulein Friedrich Heine Hoang Dang-Vu Giora Seeliger Theresa Underberg Philipp Rafferty Helmfried von Lüttichau

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Through different eyes

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

A warm adventure made with primary-school children in mind. A small, friendly yeti that can turn invisible and a girl trying to protect it easily draw the little ones in. A hunter's pursuit adds some excitement, but I don't think it gets too scary. Pia having lost her father is a sensitive subject; be ready to talk if your child asks. The whole family can watch it comfortably.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Adapted from a children's book, Yoko is a family film blending live action with animation, and it has to pass the usual test of such productions: an animated character standing convincingly in the same world as real actors. The story's structure is familiar: a child who has suffered a loss, an extraordinary friend and a villain trying to separate them. Critics' mixed response and the White Elephant Special Award nomination suggest it is debatable how far the film gets beyond that formula. A villain like the hunter Thor van Sneider also runs a high risk of staying one-dimensional. Still, for a film aimed at young viewers, simplicity can count as a deliberate choice rather than a flaw.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Two important themes lie beneath Yoko. The first is grief: a girl who lost her father at nine reconnecting with life through a secret of her own and a friendship. Rather than addressing loss head-on, working through it via a magical friend is a method European children's literature often uses, and one that reassures children. The second is the idea of protecting nature and animals: a child trying to hide a rare creature from a hunter explains responsibility towards nature to young viewers in plain terms. Being a German, Austrian and Swedish co-production also suggests these values belong to a shared European tradition of children's cinema.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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