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.
Liyana is one of those rare films that you can't put your finger on because is it a cartoon, live action, a documentary, a fictional story, is it meant for kids, or adults, do I laugh, or cry... And it is everything, and so much more. Set in the beautiful country of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), the orphaned children build and transform their story of Liyana in ways the imagination and those with deep, challenging lives only can. The cinematoghraphy, the animations, the storytelling, and the precious, amazing children all make it a must see film.