Gerda (8), the film’s modest heroine, is completely happy at home, but is driven out into the big, wide world in order to locate and rescue her missing friend. The difficult journey challenges her courage, loyalty, creativeness and faith, while demonstrating how deep-felt love may conquer all.

Kai (9) is a kind boy who has an unfortunate love of adventure and is therefore led to hitch a hike with the beautiful Snow Queen’s baby blue sledge. The free ride turns into a scary abduction, taking Kai up into the air in the Snow Queen’s magic sledge, while his own toboggan, trailing after it, detaches and falls to the ground. He finally arrives at the Snow Queen’s ice palace, where his explorer’s spirit contributes to helping him cope with his predicament - until help arrives from his dear friend Gerda.

The Snow Queen is a witch who hides her evil intentions under a veil of staggering beauty. To keep up her appearances of eternal youth and loveliness, she is dependent on regular doses of her magic potion, the “final ingredient” of which is something she can only get from live young boys like Kai, whom she regularly abducts - and kills.

Lily is a little whimsical angel that Heaven deems “still very earthly”, so in order for her to “grow and mature” she is picked out to be Gerda’s Guardian Angel. Lily is delighted with the opportunity to once more roam around on Earth and tries her very best. But her unconventional attitude to moral issues like stealing clouds her judgement, something  which at times puts her ward Gerda in serious trouble.