The panel will be focused on the current state of African aesthetics as portrayed mainly through animation. It is about an all-encompassing interrogation of what we have discovered in our journeys while working to establish African aesthetics and present them to the world. We often have to take others’ perspectives into consideration – be it for marketability or relatability purposes.
We speak through the work of The Hidden Hand Studios and the creators of “Thaba Ye”. “Thaba Ye” is a seven-minute short film taking a look into a mythological landscape of South Africa, a mysterious mountain in the Limpopo area, where people are said to go to and never return from. We will talk about how we took this idea and translated it into a story that was receivable for an international audience. We will also touch on inspiration and where we believe the future of African aesthetics is heading.