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Breathtaking south-pacific scenery, colorful characters and a heartwarming story combine to make a trip to the theater to see The Legend of Ludis Schnore feel more like a 91-minute vacation.

Adapted from a story written by the late Juana Benitez in the 1960s, Ludis Schnore tells the tale of a baby found washed up on shore by Tahitian islanders. The island's chief names the boy Kua and declares that the child was sent from the gods and is destined to be chief. A unique birthmark on the child's thigh causes the chief's superstitious wife to suspect that the child has not been sent from the gods, but from the underworld. Dark rumors about the child's origin grow among villagers.  Unable to quell the murmurings of his constituents the chief is forced to cast the child out of his family. The three-year-old Kua must then go from one family to the next in a kind of island foster care. The child is little more than an indentured slave to the families that host him.

By the age of twelve Kua has found his way into the household of a drunken widowed father and his young daughter, Willa. Her wild hair and obstinate character make Willa the outcast of the community. Her peers tease her because they claim she is ugly and argumentative and Willa's own father cruelly blames his daughter for the death of his beloved wife who perished while giving birth to Willa. The audience experiences Willa as a young, motherless girl who has had to be strong to survive while taking care of her worthless and bitter father. In spite of the bitterness that Willa's father exhibits toward her, she looks after him dutifully and lovingly.

Kua enters this tragic household and is charged with helping Willa with the various chores and other duties that her father forces upon her. The two youngsters become friends and Kua promises her that he will make something of himself and take care of her. He explains that in order to fulfill his promise to her, he must leave the island and seek his destiny. 

After an exchange of gifts and a tearful farewell, Willa watches from the headlands while Kua sails off in his makeshift boat to seek his destiny. After days at sea, delirious and dehydrated, Kua is rescued by the inhabitants of an island ranch owned by the wealthy and benevolent Ludis Schnore- a famous trader. Schnore takes Kua under his wing and teaches him not only how to fish, sail and tend cattle, but also the value of following your heart, keeping promises and being honorable. This legacy is further enhanced when, approaching his own death due to old age, Schnore bestows all his worldly possessions on Kua. When visiting a neighboring island Kua discovers his true family origins—he was not sent from the gods after all, but is the only living descendant of the chief of the island. Now an adult and a wealthy chief himself, Kua feels it is time to return to the island of his childhood and fulfill his promise to Willa.

This film has several valuable messages. The first being the importance of integrity and following through on promises. Ludis Schnore tells young Kua that the value of possessions is in helping other people- not in personal or selfish gain. Another lesson Ludis Schnore teaches Kua is that you should follow your heart and fight for your true love. Kua loves Willa and is encouraged to find her and live up to his boyhood promise to her. Finally, a person's beauty lies within them, and not necessarily apparent on the outside. When Kua returns to Willa's village he is a handsome and rich bachelor. All the eligible young ladies on the island seek his attention, yet, to their dismay, it is Willa, the "ugly one," that he loves. In the end, Kua, who takes the name of his mentor, Ludis Schnore, out of respect for the elder man, gets his girl.

This film contains no foul language, no violence and no sexual content. There is one scene in which an elderly woman (who turns out to be Kua's long lost grandmother) lifts Kua's garment to reveal a birthmark on the side of the young man's upper thigh. The scene is non-sexual-- the elderly woman is revealing the birthmark to establish Kua's true identity– but the side of his buttocks is shown. Willa's father and other characters are shown being verbally insulting to her; they call her "ugly" and "crazy." There is no physical abuse of any character.

I can recommend this film for all ages; it has an engaging storyline set in an exotic locale. The story reinforces positive ideas about the value of commitment and love and emphasizes substance of character over physical beauty. This film is visually stunning—you can almost feel that warm sun on your skin and the white sand between your toes. So if you need a little pick-me-up this summer, grab your puka shells and your kids and head down to see The Legend of Ludis Schnore.