LIYANA

Credits

Name: LIYANA

Country: Swasiland/USA / Katar

Year of publication: 2017

Format: DCP

Color: color

Language : OF m. engl. UT

Duration: 77 Minuten

Direction: Aaron Kopp Amanda Kopp

Abstract

A Swazi girl embarks on a dangerous quest to rescue her young twin brothers. This animated African tale is born in the imaginations of five orphaned children in Swaziland who collaborate to tell a story of perseverance drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dreams. Their fictional character’s journey is interwoven with poetic and observational documentary scenes to create a genre-defying celebration of collective storytelling. Director’s statement: “LIYANA is a film that gives our young storytellers the stage. We hope the audience will be enchanted by the children`s imaginations in the same way that we are. We believe this film will play a role in deconstructing stereotypes and challenging the prevalent, simplistic narrative of African orphans. LIYANA pays tribute to my childhood in the Kingdom of Swaziland. And at its heart, the film is a meditation on the transformative power of storytelling – an ode to the creative spirit.” (Source: liyanathemovie.com)