Liyana
2017, 77 minutes, Digital
Swaziland, Qatar, USA
Presented by: The National Guild for Community Arts Education and the Conference for Community Arts Education
Director: Aaron Kopp & Amanda Kopp
Distributor: Abramorama
Q&A with filmmaker Aaron Kopp following the screening.
For more information on the Conference for Community Arts Education and the National Guild for Community Arts Education, visit www.communityartsed.org and https://www.nationalguild.org/.
Join us for a FREE screening of this inspiring new film, including a Q&A after the movie with director Aaron Kopp!
Under the guidance of acclaimed South African storyteller, Gcina Mhlophe, five orphaned children from Swaziland collaborate to craft an original fairytale 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 dangerous 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. This inspiring tale of perseverance is a tribute to creativity, the strength of the human spirit, and the healing power storytelling.
“Brilliant… The world desperately needs to see more stories like this.”
— Iquo B. Essien, Shadow and Act
“A lyrical work that’s as bright and captivating as it is poignant.”
— Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
Aaron Kopp is an award-winning filmmaker and national Emmy-nominated cinematographer who grew up in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Aaron shot and co-produced the Academy Award-winning documentary about acid attacks in Pakistan, Saving Face. He was also cinematographer for the Sundance Audience Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated film, The Hunting Ground, about sexual assault on college campuses. He has worked across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, North America, and the South Pacific on films for HBO, Netflix Originals, National Geographic, Discovery, UK Channel4, CBS, CNN, and PBS. Aaron was awarded grants from the MacArthur Foundation and the Doha Film Institute for his feature directorial debut, Liyana, which has won more than 20 awards at international festivals including the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the LA Film Festival and the Knight Documentary Achievement Award.
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