Watch The Official Trailer For “Liyana,” An Animated Documentary Crafted By Orphaned Children In Swaziland
The trailer for the Award-winning feature film Liyana has been released, and it is evident that moviegoers are in for a heartfelt, rare, and emotionally gripping experience.
Produced by Thandie Newton and directed by Amanda and Aaron Kopp, Liyana combines animated storytelling with traditional documentary footage to uniquely offer a look into the lives of five orphaned children in Swaziland. Guided by South African storyteller Gcina Mhlophe, the five children collaborated to create an original African tale filled with both their darkest memories and most hopeful dreams.
Liyana, a fictional character created by the children, is brought to life through the spectacular animation of Nigerian artist Shofela Coker. In the film, Liyana must go on a dangerous quest to rescue her twin brothers.
As stated in the description for the film, “This genre-defying film weaves an original animated hero’s journey with poetic documentary scenes to create an inspiring tale of perseverance. LIYANA is a tribute to creativity, the strength of the human spirit, and the healing power storytelling.”
So far, Liyana has won over 25 jury and audience awards and has screened at more than 80 film festivals. On October 9th, the feature film will be screening in select theaters. Find out if it’s playing in your city by visiting the official site for the film.
Below, watch the poignant trailer for Liyana:
