Ten young screenwriters from five countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Togo) have been participating in a screenwriting residency since early April to develop season 2 of the animated series "Junior des idées en or" (Junior with Golden Ideas), named after the hero of an animated series that recounts the adventures of a group of African children.
After a first season produced by French screenwriters, this time "African screenwriters will be talking about the daily lives of African children," explains Christophe Guignement, screenwriter, cartoon author, and co-founder of the Maison Junior association. "This series must be accessible to Europeans and, at the same time, relatable to Africans," he adds, stating that it will be the
first French series with an international focus to be written entirely in French-speaking Africa by Africans.
The association was founded by Page 49, a company specializing in the development of audiovisual content for young people, the Togolese production company Yobo Studios, and the Togolese Association of Animated Cinema (ATCA).
Supervised by three professionals, two French and one Togolese, the ten screenwriters, aged 20 to 33, have already completed a four-month distance learning course. After their stay until the end of July in the village of Alogavi, about 22 km east of Lomé, the economic capital, they will undergo another two months of distance learning.
"The idea behind this training is interesting because it allows us to offer content that is based on our realities, on what we are experiencing in Africa, and with which current and future generations can truly identify,
" says 25-year-old Odilon Edjedji from Benin.
This training, which is both theoretical and practical, fills a gap in French-speaking Africa.
"I'm learning a lot. In Africa, it's not always easy to get training in the field of cinema. And when it comes to the specific field of screenwriting, training courses are rare,
" adds 23-year-old Anaïs Kéré from Burkina Faso, a journalist and screenwriter by training, and film critic.
Two famous Togolese slam poets and rappers are also participating in the project to help the students write the theme song for the series. "There are things I was doing, but I didn't understand them. With
this training, I am gradually mastering all the stages of writing," says Yoann Feteke, a young Togolese screenwriter.
The program will be broadcast on PM SA, Gulli Africa, and Gulli.