Liyana (2017)
3.6 of 5 from 46 ratings
1h 17min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Under the guidance of acclaimed South African storyteller, Gcina Mhlophe, five orphaned children from Swaziland collaborate to craft a collective fairy-tale drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dreams. Their fictional character, Liyana, is brought to life in innovative animated artwork as she embarks on a perilous quest to rescue her young twin brothers. The children’s real and imagined worlds begin to converge, and they must choose what kind of story they will tell - in fiction and in their own lives.
- Actors:
- Gcina Mhlophe
- Directors:
- Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp
- Genres:
- Anime & Animation, Children & Family, Documentary
Reviews (1) of Liyana
Talking Over Each Other - Liyana review by griggs
There are probably two decent films tucked inside this one, and they spend the whole runtime talking over each other.
Five children in a home for orphans in Eswatini sit down with storyteller Gcina Mhlophe and start stitching a heroine together out of their own lives. Her name's Liyana. Watching that story take shape is honestly the best bit — kids interrupting each other, changing their minds, one boy insisting his character needs a bull. Shofela Coker then turns all of it into something gorgeous, more illustrated storybook than standard animation.
The trouble is the editing. Just as the workshop scenes gather steam, we're cut back to Liyana's animated quest, then back again before either strand can really settle. By the time the parallels between her story and the children's own lives become clear, the constant back-and-forth has already blunted them.
Lovely idea, gorgeous artwork, edited like an argument nobody won.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.