Leading production company Buni Media, the makers of The XYZ Show, have launched a new production titled 'From Here to Timbuktu'.
The short film targets children and is based on the creative concept of time travel.
Speaking about the movie, the producer said, "Four children from Kenya, Egypt, South Africa and Senegal travel back in time to ancient Timbuktu, which is one of Africa’s most famous ancient cities."
In the short film, the young time travellers arrive in Ancient Timbuktu in the middle of an invasion by the Saadian army from Morocco.
They meet Prof Ahmed Baba es Sudane and take on the challenge of helping him to save his books from destruction by the Saadians.
This short film was born out of the observation that within the current market for children film and TV in Africa, one major topic is being largely ignored across the board: history, and more specifically, ancient African history.
Besides, Ancient African history is not being taught in primary and secondary schools across the continent (and around the world!), as school curricula in Africa remain based on the English or French educational systems, and most textbooks focus on the colonial and post-colonial period.
Therefore, beyond being entertaining and fun to watch, From Here to Timbuktu retells a piece of Ancient African History to the children of today.
