Liyana is a young, fictional girl created by several young orphans in Swaziland, where the scourge of AIDS has ravaged the population, leaving hundreds of thousands of children to fend for themselves. In a storytelling workshop, the youngsters learn to create a central character for their story, then draw on their own experiences to create an adventure for their heroine, while at the same time banishing their own fears. A magnificent tribute to creativity, imagination and the power of storytelling.
Liyana is a young, fictional girl created by several young orphans in Swaziland, where the scourge of AIDS has ravaged the population, leaving hundreds of thousands of children to fend for themselves. In a storytelling workshop, the youngsters learn to create a central character for their story, then draw on their own – often ghastly and horrifying – true-life experiences to create an exciting adventure for their heroine, which relies on her bravery, cleverness and sheer determination. Over the course of her quest, Liyana and her trusty bull traverse across rivers and mountains, through forest and desert, in search of their goal.
‘Liyana’ adeptly uses documentary elements to show the gradual building of the story by the enthusiastic children, while at the same time providing a beautifully animated version of the adventure story itself. As we witness the imagining of Liyana’s home – a simple mud hut – the fate of her parents, the terror she experiences, and the reason that she must voyage into the mountains, we also see the troubled youth exposing – and banishing – their own fears. This compelling film is a magnificent tribute to creativity, imagination and the healing power of that fundamental human activity: storytelling.
‘Liyana’ adeptly uses documentary elements to show the gradual building of the story by the enthusiastic children, while at the same time providing a beautifully animated version of the adventure story itself. As we witness the imagining of Liyana’s home – a simple mud hut – the fate of her parents, the terror she experiences, and the reason that she must voyage into the mountains, we also see the troubled youth exposing – and banishing – their own fears. This compelling film is a magnificent tribute to creativity, imagination and the healing power of that fundamental human activity: storytelling.
