Passionate about cinema since childhood thanks to her mother, a photographer, Louisette Ratsivahiny quickly turned her attention to directing and producing.
Production manager at Séléné Lotus S.A. in Switzerland and director at Art’π Prod in Madagascar, she founded, with Pierre Hippolyte, “La Maison du Cinéma Malagasy,” a training center dedicated to young talent from Madagascar, Africa, and the Indian Ocean.
She has just completed the first animated series produced entirely in MADAGASCAR.
Adweknow: You recently produced an animated series called "In Search of the Star Vegetable." What is special about it?
Louisette Ratsivahiny: "À la recherche du légume star" (In Search of the Star Vegetable) is the very first animated series produced in Madagascar. It was made by my company, Art'π Prod. Although there are already several companies specializing in the production of fiction films in Madagascar, we are the first to offer an animated series of this type, which is intended to be broadcast on international channels.
What is the synopsis of "In Search of the Star Vegetable"?
LR: All the vegetables in the world have come together with the same idea in mind: to end up on everyone's plates and be loved by all children. To achieve this, the vegetables will appear before a jury and give their best in the hope of receiving the highest marks.
It is an educational series consisting of 13 five-minute episodes, but there are also musical comedy segments similar to talent shows.
One thing struck me: all the characters have an accent, and the tomato host in particular has a Malagasy accent. Why did you make that choice?
LR: It was something we really wanted to do. It reflects our cultural roots and highlights the local identity of the project. We also wanted to reference the origins of the star vegetables entering the competition: if the host has a Madagascan accent, the carrot will have a Chinese accent, the pumpkin an American accent, and so on.
How was this production financed?
LR: The series was financed by several partners: TV5MONDE, the OIF (International Organization of La Francophonie), which played a key role, and Switzerland. It is a co-production, mainly Madagascan.
What is TV5MONDE's involvement?
LR: TV5MONDE played a central role. It acquired exclusive broadcasting rights for an initial 18-month period. The program is now available on the TV5MONDE PLUS platform and is also broadcast on TIVI 5 MONDE. However, we have also collaborated with other partners, which gives us the freedom to broadcast the series on other platforms or channels after the 18-month exclusivity period reserved for TV5 Monde.
Do you have any other series in the works?
Yes. We are currently working on a series called FARA, which is based on the tales and legends of Madagascar. It is the story of a young girl, her little brother, and their pet hen named Cot-Cot.
Do you collaborate with companies from other African countries?
LR: Yes, we are in regular contact with players in French-speaking Africa, such as Afrika Toon in Ivory Coast. We also collaborate with Maison du cinéma Malagas, a training school in Madagascar, which allows us to integrate talented individuals into our productions on a work-study basis.