Kaena: The Prophecy 2004

The cinematic journey takes off on a desolate desert planet that becomes the stage for an extraordinary event when an alien spacecraft, carrying the Vecarians, crash-lands and succumbs to the harsh surroundings. Among the wreckage, the lone survivor, Vecanoi, remains, and from its core, a colossal tree named Axis emerges, towering into the sky like a celestial behemoth. Fast forward six centuries, and we find a unique society of humanoid tree-dwellers who have adapted to life within the branches of Axis, embodying the transformative nature of their environment.

At the heart of this ecosystem is Kaena, an adventurous teenager voiced by Kirsten Dunst, whose insatiable curiosity fuels her desire to explore beyond her village’s limits and discover the secrets that lie outside. Yet, her aspirations are met with disapproval from the village elder, who perceives her ambitions as a challenge to their beliefs and insists that the villagers should adhere to their predetermined roles, working diligently for the enigmatic gods known as the Selenites, ancient entities dwelling beneath them.

As Kaena experiences increasingly vivid dreams of a world illuminated by a blue sun and overflowing with water, she resolves to disregard the elder’s admonitions and makes the daring ascent to Axis’s summit. Here, she encounters Opaz, the last living remnant of the Vecarian lineage, masterfully voiced by Richard Harris. For centuries, Opaz has used his advanced technology to cultivate a horde of intelligent worms, all in pursuit of escaping this arid world.

Opaz becomes fascinated by Kaena’s prophetic insights and recruits her to help locate Vecanoi, an ancient archive that holds the vast knowledge of his civilization. However, this sacred artifact is deeply buried at the base of Axis, guarded by the Selenite Queen, a character brought to life by Anjelica Huston. The Queen has devoted her life to destroying Vecanoi, holding it accountable for the desolation that engulfed her planet centuries earlier, and in her quest, she has sacrificed the very future of her people.