JONAH, a visually stunning live-action-animation short film starring Daniel Kaluuya, tells a thought-provoking story about man, nature, conflict, and how they are actually drifting apart.
JONAH introduces us to two young men Mbwana and his best friend Juma who lives in a small island town in Zanzibar. Bored of their usual life, they dream big to see their town flourish as a major tourist attraction. Their dream becomes a reality when they snatch a camera from a tourist, and soon after accidentally click a gigantic fish leaping out of the sea.
As they advertise the same photograph, their town becomes a hotspot tourist destination and their lives changed overnight. However, things always do not remain the same as per our wishes. With excessive tourism, their beautiful fishing town sees depletion, while the community becomes corrupted and the environment around them toxic.
Certainly, this is not what Mbwana dreamt of. So, when many years after he meets the fish again, both forgotten, ruined, and old, and he decides only one of them can survive. Eventually, the force of nature prevails over human greed.
JONAH very subtly conveys the message that the very thing that creates us can certainly consume us; our selfishness, greed, and apathy will ultimately become the reason for our destruction.
Kibwe Tavares, the award-winning director of ‘Robots of Brixton’, is amazing in storytelling. He makes it very easy to convey a larger message with a simple storyline with his unique narrative style. Of course, the performance of its cast, including Daniel Kaluuya, along with incredible special effects, together make the film a must-watch.
Watch the film JONAH here on Vimeo
JONAH: A Stray Bear Production in association with Jellyfish Pictures
Director: Kibwe Tavares
Writer: Jack Thorne
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Malachi Kirby, and Louis Mahoney
Cinematographer: Chloe Thomson
Producer: Ivana MacKinnon
VFX: Factory Fifteen, Jellyfish Pictures
Release Date: January 16, 2013
Where to watch Jonah (2013)
