ABC ME will launch Viv’s Silly Mango, Gugu naGogo, Namaste Yoga and Yaz Queens, on Sunday, November 20 at 9am AEDT on ABC ME and ABC iview.
The films make up the heart of the Kaleidoscope Project, a joint ABC/ Screen Australia initiative which supports and showcases the best of Australia’s next generation of filmmakers, through mentorship and collaboration with experienced executive producers as well as editorial guidance from ABC Children’s and Screen Australia.
Each film aims to explore what life in contemporary Australia is like as a young person from communities who are often underrepresented in the media. The portrayals are compelling, refreshingly honest and told authentically through the lens of filmmakers Mary Duong, Rae Choi, Taku Mbudzi, Ravi Chand and Lara Köse.
The films are beautiful, bold and powerful, celebrating the delights and unexpected discoveries that shape the identities of so many young people growing up in Australia today.
ABC Children’s and Screen Australia are excited to continue their commitment to diverse and inclusive storytelling and the opportunity to support authentic representation on screen.
The Kaleidoscope Films
L- R: Rachel Choi, Mary Duong, Taku Mbduzi, Ravi Chand, Lara Köse
Viv’s Silly Mango, a film by creators and producers Mary Duong and Rae Choi, is a comedy-drama short film, inspired by the 90s riot grrrl DIY ethos, exploring friendship, music, and self-discovery through an intersectional Asian-Australian lens. Viv’s Silly Mango is directed by Rachel Maxine Anderson.
Gugu naGogo, created by Taku Mbudzi, explores intergenerational and cultural relationships and struggles between daughter, mother, and grandmother, through the eyes of Gugu, a 12-year-old budding astronomer living in a small Australian town, far removed from Zimbabwe, where her Gogo lives.
Creator Ravi Chand draws on his life experiences with Namaste Yoga, about Shiv, a 10-year-old boy who is ashamed of being Indian and when he gets into a fight at school, the only way to avoid suspension is by doing mandatory lunchtime yoga classes.
Yaz Queens, created and directed by Lara Köse, produced by William Duan, explores the relationship dynamics between 11-year-old Yaz and her father after 8 years of living apart in different countries. Their cultural differences play a part in their struggle to relate, but ultimately, they find a shared love of music, which helps them to bridge that divide and brings them closer together.
Media Release – ABC
