Today, We’re going to discuss a movie called “Alleri Eirauh.” It tells the story of blonde princess Lotte, who, like any girl her age, dreams of finding true love. She fantasizes about a noble prince who will sweep her off her feet and take her to his kingdom. Lotte only shares these thoughts with her trusted confidante, the cook Birthe.
However, Lotte’s adopted father, the great and mighty King Tobald, has lost all hope of finding a soulmate since the passing of his beloved queen, who was the most beautiful woman in the world. Consumed by grief, the king becomes distant and melancholic, causing concern among his servants.
One day, the king’s chief advisor, Richard, suggests that it is time for the king to choose a new queen from three potential candidates. However, Tobald shows no interest in any of them, as he had made a promise to his late wife to remarry only someone who surpasses her beauty.
Just as the king is about to express his disinterest, his gaze falls upon his daughter Lotte, who is widely regarded as the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. Suddenly, Tobald has an epiphany. He believes that Lotte is the one who meets the criteria set by his late queen, and he promptly announces that he will marry his own daughter.
Princess Lotte is shocked and frozen with disbelief. She argues that such a union goes against the word of God. Even Birthe and Richard are taken aback, doubting that the king’s decision will be beneficial for the kingdom or for Lotte herself. However, Tobald dismisses all objections, unwilling to consider any alternative.
The mere thought of marrying the man she considers her father sends shivers down Lotte’s spine. Despite her apprehension, she resolves to outsmart the king. Lotte agrees to become the queen but sets seemingly impossible conditions for the engagement. She demands three dresses: one made of golden sunlight, another of silver moonlight, and a third adorned with radiant stars. Additionally, she requests a cloak made from the fur of a thousand different animals found in the kingdom.
Lotte intentionally presents these challenging tasks, believing they will prove insurmountable. However, to her surprise, the king promises to fulfill her desires. Skilled craftsmen and servants work tirelessly to transform sunlight, moonlight, and shooting stars into fabrics for the dresses. Meanwhile, hunters scour the kingdom’s forests to capture one animal from each species.
Throughout the ordeal, Lotte resists her fate with all her might. But eventually, the day of the wedding arrives, and the extraordinary dresses are ready, along with the magnificent cloak. Lotte can no longer refuse her father’s request. However, the night before the planned wedding, she disguises herself as a commoner, smears her face and hands with soot, and dons a fur coat. She does everything she can to escape from the castle.
On her way out, Lotte encounters Birthe, who wishes her good luck and allows her to leave peacefully. Lotte asks the cook if her mother truly desired her father to marry her. Birthe shakes her head, revealing that the queen only wished for her husband to find happiness with a good woman. Although grief clouded the king’s judgment, he mistook outer beauty for inner beauty.
As a parting gift, Birthe gives Lotte a golden ring, a small spinning wheel, and a reel. She explains that these items will assist Lotte in her quest to find true love. With a hurried farewell, Lotte escapes from the castle and her father’s kingdom, embarking on a journey of self-discovery.
Lotte wanders aimlessly until her strength gives out, eventually deciding to spend the night near a fallen tree deep in the forest. The following day, a hunting party led by the young King Jacob passes through the area. They notice Lotte, who appears as a peculiar creature in her donkey skin disguise.
Intrigued, Jacob orders his men to bring her to the castle, where she is assigned to work in the kitchen. Lotte finds solace in the pantry, her chosen sleeping place, where she keeps the walnut containing the hidden dresses. Later, she meets the kind-hearted cook Mathis, who agrees to take her on as his assistant. Due to her refusal to remove the magnificent cloak, Lotte earns the nickname “Donkey Skin.”
Initially, Lotte is assigned the most challenging tasks, such as chopping wood and carrying water. Princess Frederica, King Jacob’s sister, her husband Rasmus, and Jacob himself constantly mock and humiliate the maid. Nevertheless, Lotte endures these trials with her head held high. Mathis, feeling responsible for her, protects her from harm and wonders why their monarch is so cruel and callous towards a commoner.
Meanwhile, Lotte secretly observes a conversation between Jacob and Rasmus, gaining insight into their characters.
Rasmus, concerned about his friend’s personal life, suggests that Jacob consider marriage to strengthen and expand their territories. He even proposes arranging feasts and inviting Larissa, the daughter of one of the most powerful kings. However, Jacob is not a believer in marriages of convenience; he wants to marry for love. Nevertheless, he agrees to organize a celebration. During the conversation, their attention turns to Lotte, the quiet servant, and they ask her about the importance of beauty, love, and foreign policy. Lotte astutely notes that external and internal qualities are inseparable. She then leaves the room, observing from a distance as Jacob and Rasmus taste the salted food.
Later, in one of the castle hallways, Jacob encounters Lotte wearing her donkey-skin cloak. Intrigued, he questions her about why she always wears it, as it conceals most of her face. Lotte convinces the king that she has nothing to hide from him. Surprisingly, Jacob invites her to dance, noting that she moves with the grace of a princess. In a moment of impulsiveness, he attempts to kiss Lotte but receives a slap in the face instead.
Observing the change in Lotte’s demeanor, Mathis, the cook, correctly deduces that she is in love with the king. He sees an elegant beauty beyond the dirt and grime and encourages her to discard the donkey skin. However, Lotte replies that she will do so someday, but not yet.
As the evening of the celebration approaches, Lotte asks Mathis if she can briefly attend the feast. The cook grants her permission with the condition that she doesn’t linger. Lotte quickly washes herself, dons a dress made of sunlight, and hurries to the event. Meanwhile, Jacob meets Princess Larisa but is left speechless when a dazzlingly beautiful girl enters the hall, unaware that she is Lotte in her donkey skin disguise.
Enchanted, Jacob invites the mysterious girl to dance but she escapes and disappears into the castle corridors, leaving the king infatuated. Lotte returns to the kitchen, puts on the donkey skin cloak, and smears her face with soot. She assists Mathis in cooking soup for the king, secretly dropping a golden ring into the pot as she remembers Birthe’s words.
Later, Lotte serves the soup to Jacob, who is filled with excitement after encountering the mysterious girl. Jacob discovers the golden ring in the soup and calls for Mathis. The cook denies any involvement during the interrogation. Later in the kitchen, Mathis confesses to Lotte that her soup tasted better than his, but he is concerned about the fate of the state due to Rasmus’s worries.
Undeterred, Jacob decides to arrange another feast to meet the mysterious girl. However, he instructs the guards to apprehend Lotte before he sees her. Despite Mathis’s worries, he ultimately allows Lotte to attend the festivities. Lotte wears a silver dress woven from moonlight and dances with the king, who recognizes her true name this time before she escapes once more as the donkey skin.
Lotte brings soup to the king once again, secretly placing a golden spinning wheel inside. She remains silent about her motives. Furious, Jacob throws Lotte to the floor, ordering her to leave the castle. As she is about to comply, Mathis pleads with her to stay. Overwhelmed by the cook’s kindness, Lotte confesses to Mathis that he has filled the role of her father.
Learning from the donkey skin that a golden spinning wheel can bind lovers with threads of love, Jacob decides to arrange a third feast specifically for Lotte. Despite Mathis’s concerns, Lotte persistently asks him to join the festivities. Eventually, Mathis relents, on the condition that she fulfills her promise to discard the fur.
Lotte dresses in a gown woven with stars and attends the ball, where she dances with the king. Discreetly, Jacob places the ring on Lotte’s finger. Once again, the soup contains a special item—this time, a spinning wheel intended for weaving threads. Jacob summons the donkey skin, asking her who she truly is. Lotte responds that Jacob already knows the answer. The king takes her hand and sees the ring, which convinces him that Lotte is his true love. He removes her fur coat, revealing the starry dress to Frederica, Rasmus, and Mathis, confirming Lotte’s true identity.
In a heartfelt moment, Jacob kisses Lotte and promises never to let her go. And with that, the movie concludes.
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