Kristal Sotomayor

Pearlstein Gallery
URBN Annex
3401 Filbert Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Scribe Video Center and the BlackStar Film Festival are delighted to present Liyana (USA, 2017,116 min) directed by Aaron and Amanda Kopp.

AARON KOPP IN PERSON

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. Animated by Shofela Coker, an illustrator and art director specializing in comics, digital sculpting, and look development.

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. Amanda Kopp is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and artist. She was producer and cinematographer for the short film, Likhaya, which won a Golden Palm, People’s Choice, and Best Documentary awards at international festivals.

Preceded by Healing Words (2014, 8:14) by Imani Ross, as part of Scribe Video Center’s 2014 Documentary History Project for Youth. This short film examines how words can be used as a healing tool of expression for both the writer and the listener.

THIS SCREENING IS CO-SPONSORED BY THE BLACKSTAR FILM FESTIVAL.