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NewsDay

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Zim animator’s Africa Day gift wrapped

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MULTI-SKILLED artist Michael Mupotaringa is set commemorate Africa Day tomorrow with the release of an animation web series titled African Dynasties 1, which documents short biographies of Africa’s leading revolutionaries.

MULTI-SKILLED artist Michael Mupotaringa is set commemorate Africa Day tomorrow with the release of an animation web series titled African Dynasties 1, which documents short biographies of Africa’s leading revolutionaries.

BY PRECIOUS CHIDA

Michael Mupotaringa
Michael Mupotaringa

The series, according to the South Africa-based Zimbabwean national, offers quick historical facts about the political luminaries that helped liberate Africa.

Mupotaringa told NewsDay yesterday that the series was made of a short 2D animation to cater for children.

“We made the series a 2D animation as a means to give it an appeal to young audiences,” he said.

“Young folks may find it boring to go through a one-hour (long) documentary plus data expenses may also hinder them, thus, we thought of making three-minute biographies on each hero and give them the main highlights in the shortest time frame,” he said.

Mupotaringa said he decided to release the project on Africa Day because it was a tribute to those who fought to liberate Africa and a gift to new Africans who are to carry forward with the mission.

He said together with his Unthinq team, they were set to release the first episode which will be focusing on Nelson Mandela’s wife, Winnie Madikizela Mandela, on Youtube and We Dream Africa, a platform which transmits animations and films from around Africa.

Mupotaringa said the need to teach children about Africa’s leaders and heroes drove him to do the series.

“I was searching for profiles on different leaders and I figured that biographies of leaders from other continents where there but no one had taken the initiative to do so for most of the Africans and so I decided on taking the responsibility,” he said.

The 28-year-old animator and vector illustrator, who is currently working as a dental therapist in South Africa, said the project was driven by passion rather than financial gain.

“I am not expecting to earn financially from the project. I might actually spend (some money) to see it through. There is no revenue model in place.

However, indirectly, it may open doors to other opportunities I otherwise would not have had,” he said.