THE PASSPORT OF MALLAM ILIA: Making of An Animation Classic

Who didn’t read Cyprian Ekwensi’s famous novel ‘The Passport of Mallam Ilia’ back in school? If you didn’t then I suggest you get a copy now and see if you can still capture the moment. This is because we are about to witness the making of an animation classic. It was one of those ‘must-reads’ that didn’t feel like drudgery back then. It was a singular novel: one loaded with love, adventure, suspense, and action. Something our young minds at the time could understand and naturally gravitated to. The book felt crafted for an action film or a scintillating graphic novel.  But few would have ever thought of combining both art forms in one single adaptation.

Well, the award-winning Magic Carpet Studios is doing just that. A decision they have been toiling on. To carve a niche for themselves in the unchartered territory of African animated feature films and adaptations. We will soon have the opportunity to capture that moment again… but this time on screen.

Teambooktu had another chat with the team from Magic Carpet Studios: Ferdynand Adimefe (Founder, CEO), Chekwube Okonkwo (Co-founder/Lead Art Director) and WilliamFaith Obi (R&D) on this exciting new project.

Welcome, guys. This is real fascinating stuff! How did you come up with the idea of making an animated movie of Passport of Mallam Ilia?

 Ferdy: It started out as a conversation in the office. Which of the novels we read in secondary school would be best to adapt in animation? We were mostly doing agency work for brands at the time but films were at the forefront of our minds. Passport of Mallam Ilia (POMI) won in the studio. We did a test on Twitter and it also won. By the way, just last year in November, Netflix Nigeria asked a similar ‘interest’ question on Twitter and POMI won. 

POMI is highly cinematic and is a story that would travel quite well. We wanted a story that would be relatable, there’s love, war, colonial invasion, lots of history and culture. POMI was a childhood fantasy and dream.  This project has grown with us from when we started years ago till now. During this time, we have taken up and/or completed other jobs for other companies e.g. Cartoon Network, Sesame Street, Microsoft, United Nations, Warner Brothers, etc. We’ve grown in capacity and quality and it shows here.

For those not familiar with the story, can you give us a brief synopsis?

Ferdy: It’s a story of two lovers- Zara and Ilia. Not giving away any spoilers, there are four characters we see the movie from their point of view.

Zara (voiced by Nigerian singer Di’Ja of Mavin Records) was a strong-willed child. She refused an arranged marriage set up by her father which infuriated him. So he then decided to gamble her away to whoever wins in a Shanchi (fight to the death) contest.

Ilia (the late Nigerian actor Sadiq Daba of Cock Crow At Dawn & October 1st fame) was a tough man. His love for Zara made him go to impossible lengths. However, he suffered a grievous loss that consumed him. He let the shadows and traumas of his past rob him of his present. And it all started the night of the invasion of the city.

Usman is a killer and Ilia’s arch-enemy. He will equally go to impossible lengths but only for his own dark ambitions. Usman drove Ilia into having a great loss and the fight between these two never ended.

Hassan is a young journalist whose curiosity led him to meet Ilia and uncover truths that changed
everything, not just for Ilia, but him as well. A lot of creative adjustments were made to the film to make it more appealing in the 21st century. The film was written in mid-20th century but is still pretty much a love story set in time of war.

We appreciate what Magic Carpet Studios is doing with this animation. You are connecting both young and old to enjoy an African classic that has become a legend. Why do you think this is important, especially in these times?

William: The story captures epic elements of love, jealousy, revenge… It explores a whole range of human emotions that are quite relatable. Regardless of age, this makes it still very relevant. It’s a work of fiction that is based on well-researched reality.

Ferdy: Yes. POMI is without a doubt transgenerational. After all, 400 million fans spanning over 3 generations have loved the story. For over 6 decades! Save for productions by Trigger Fish Studios (South Africa), POMI will be the first 2D animated feature film by an African studio. It focuses on history and connects all. On the colonial invasion of Kano- a city which was, and still is, a melting pot of culture. A commercial hub. Published in 1960, it has become a staple of literature for both the young and old.

But our movie also connects the whole country in another way. The author, Cyprian Ekwensi, was from the East, writing a story about the North. The West is now producing the animated adaptation. So POMI connects people in many ways. We appreciate organizations like Africanofilter that help to champion this project and get it across to as many as possible. This is even as we raise investment for its completion on Wefunder.

There is growing interest in adapting old stories/legends for the younger generation. Bayajidda and Moremi have been featured here. Africa has always had her own Robin Hoods and Three Musketeers and these stories need to be told. But there is a challenge with story adaptations- especially one held so dear. Striking a balance between source material and tweaks, where to do it, how to do it and why etc. I have seen some interesting tweaks in your teasers. So how did you handle this, especially in the face of purists?

Ferdy: There was a lot of research conducted for this project. We interviewed sociologists to get this story right. We embarked on a visit to Kano to familiarize ourselves with the background of this story. Also to get as many images as possible to create scenes as close to the setting as possible. We had to portray an old lifestyle and culture that might be alien to many viewers of the present day. Take for example, the idea of men fighting for a woman’s hand in marriage. This could rub off the wrong way in certain parts and interpreted as the woman being a prize.  So we had to represent this tradition with the sensitivity it deserves without denying its essence. You understand? 

However, we didn’t shy away from the magical or exploring various possibilities with the story. Take for example the Shanchi fight scene seen the teaser which appears to be a spiritual fight rather than physical. We added our own structure and characters as well for some humour and twists without distorting the essence. Like the heroine Zara was made a strong-willed character to be an inspiration to Northern women and women in general. For her character development, we also made her play an indigenous musical instrument. This was all in a plan to celebrate a part of Africa not quite celebrated. To showcase the beauty of their culture and fashion. So yes, we were also mindful of maintaining the movie’s commercial/universal appeal without losing authenticity.

How long has the project been on and what percentage of completion has been reached?

Ferdy: POMI has been 4 years in the making starting with research and scripting, then pre-production. We took a trip to the North for further research then actual production started. But you know, there are funding limitations. It’s hard to find patient capital and patient talent in the country. By that, I mean investors willing to fund a project with a long ROI or people willing to work on a long-term project and grow with it. The economy doesn’t quite encourage long-term investment. The government hasn’t provided an enabling environment for this nascent sector to thrive. There is little support structure for African art. People who embark on it dedicatedly do it more as a life service, so to speak.

So that’s why we’re only coming out now when we can see the finish line to request for investment. Imagine if we had asked for funds 4 years ago for a project that would take four-plus years to make. You would prefer to invest it in a project with quick returns.  We need more hands too. If we added 50 more hands to this project, we would have it done by August. However, we still have December as our target release date.

We noticed a distinct art approach to POMI. The involvement of the art icon, Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya seems to validate this impression. Do you think our comics/animation need an African style? Like the Japanese have anime/manga and Franco-Belgian bande desinée?

Ferdy: Yes we were very intentional about the art style. Thanks for observing that. We were actually toying with a name for it but eventually, decided to let society come up with a name.

Chekwube: We believe Africa should have its own style just like the Japanese have anime. We shouldn’t be copying anime for example. So we were quite deliberate with the art, both here and in Legends of Bulan. We did a 40-minute long video of our trip to Kano to get inspiration from the culture of Kano. Although, still maintaining our style. I had a concept in mind for certain scenes in POMI which I had a challenge achieving. Then I recalled seeing a similar concept by Prof. Bruce sometime ago. So we travelled to his home in Delta State, Nigeria, for some guidance and direction on how to achieve it. He was immensely helpful.

Your other major project, Legends of Bulan, is being done in 3D. Any reason why you chose to produce this one in 2D animation?

Ferdy: Well, yes, this is predominantly 2D animation but with 3D elements in various scenes. It’s more or less a mixed medium.  More of 2D but with a 3D fusion.

Chekwube: We were going for a classical feel like the novel itself. As an adaptation of a novel written in 1947, we felt 2D would give it a more dated appearance that suited the tale. A bit like The Prince of Egypt goes well with the classic story of Moses.

Any distinct differences in the approach to both projects?

Chekwube: Well, with Legends Of Bulan we were going for a more futuristic approach. So 3D was more appropriate because we wanted to build our own worlds. A bit like Arcane if you are familiar with the animation. With POMI, that was less of a concern.

What is your target audience for this film?

Chekwube: It’s PG. Suitable for young and old with parental guidance.

What is your impression of the world’s growing interest in Africa and non-Western stories these days.  Stories captured in live-action (Black Panther), animation (Iwaju), award-winning graphic novels(O Kingdom Come), and novels (Children of Blood and Bone). How do you think we should tap into this and tell our own stories?

Ferdy: I think we should go for it, by all means. Although, there is the nagging problem of funding and support. The enabling environment isn’t quite there yet. Nevertheless, we should try as much as possible to ensure we tell our stories ourselves. To retain and maintain the IP for our stories. This is because there is always the risk of losing it when major foreign companies get involved in production. They tend to dictate the narrative in one way or another so in the end the story is diluted. So it is not exactly yours or truly African. 

The cost of producing a five-minute animation is crazy, let alone a full-length film in these inflationary times! How much has been spent on production so far and what is required to finish it?

Ferdy: We have a $2 million budget for this project. So far, we have invested $1.5m and are looking to raise half a million dollars ($500,000) to conclude. This is the part we opened up to investors so they can share in the joy and in the revenue.

There is a Wefunder project for the film, encouraging investment in Ilia. How is this going and how can prospective investors reach Magic Carpet Studios for info?

William: Thank you. The Wefunder raise is getting along quite well. Wefunder is a reputable investment platform. The SEC approved us and we set out to raise $500k in investment for the completion phase. Investors share in the revenue of the movie. In the past few weeks, investors and fans all around the world have constantly scheduled calls on our calendar. Some have even gone ahead to invest on the page. More information including the terms can be found on our Wefunder page.

Investors can also contact us directly. In fact, some have visited our studio and we have shown them how far we have gone on the project. We have shown them our projections and strategies to achieve them. The ROI starts coming to investors as revenue starts coming and we prioritize investors in the revenue sharing agreement. We encourage people to visit our Wefunder page to learn more about the investment and to Invest. We are already having really promising conversations and we are very optimistic about this.

Ferdy: Wefunder requires the project owner to raise a certain level of investment before it pushes it to other investors on the platform on their Featured Investment Section. Or even before any funds can be released. We are quite optimistic we’ll get the funds required to conclude this labour of love being done in partnership with Cyprian Ekwensi’s estate. We are counting on support from fellow Nigerians, our African brothers and sisters, to bring this milestone animation out on schedule.

Teambooktu is proud of the work Magic Carpet Studios is doing with two eagerly awaited animated films. When are we looking at for Bulan’s premiere?

Ferdy: Hopefully, it will have a 2025 target release.

Best of luck! You have our full support in your quest to make African animation history.

Ferdy: Thank you for having us.