Jenny's film to be shown at awards do at Leeds Town Hall

Papiyon Volé!, which was written by Jenny Zobel as part of the 2016 CINAGE project and made with Leeds Beckett University students, will be shown at the Leeds Young Filmmakers’ Golden Owl Awards 2017 on Thursday, March 30.

The film tells the story, through drama and animation, of Jenny’s young grandson, Theo, discovering his family history and cultural heritage in Martinique.

It has been chosen to be screened at the ceremony at Leeds Town Hall for its positive depiction of global culture and inter-generational relationships. It was one of four original short films made by teams of over-60s with no previous filmmaking experience.

Writer Jenny Zobel said: “Papiyon Volé! means ‘fly, butterfly!’ in French and is a traditional children’s song in Martinique, which I remember from my childhood and which features in the film. The team of over-60s that I worked with were really sympathetic to the message of my story and it was a pleasure to work with them.”

Jenny’s film features an animation, created by Sherbert animation studios, depicting Theo’s journey from his grandmother’s flat in Leeds to the world of his ancestors. She added: “The animation element of the film was my idea as it was a journey of discovery, showing my grandson, who lives in Leeds, with little inkling of who my ancestors were, that he is linked to people far away who had a harsh life.

“I wanted the portrait that hangs in my Leeds flat, of myself when I was four years old, to act as a magic portal to transport my grandson into that world and be introduced to the world of my ancestors.”