Joburg-based author, social entrepreneur and youth activist Amonge Sinxoto is encouraging young people to embrace their individuality and identity as she pitches her series “My Big World” at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Through “My Big World” Sinxoto aims to bring attention to the significance of respecting and honouring individual names and identities.
The inspiration behind the series is derived from Sinxoto's younger sister's experience with people struggling to pronounce her name.
The series is the extension of Sinxoto’s children’s book, “My Big Name,” which is a deeply personal story that speaks on the power of a name.
Speaking to IOL Entertainment, Sinxoto says by adapting her children's book into a 2D animation series, it will enable her to convey the important message of identity on a global scale.
“My Big Name” is about Isenguye going to school for the first time and her teacher renames her Issy. And she just finds herself feeling small about this new name that’s not hers,” explains Sinxoto.
“And so she has this conversation with her sister, who then tells her ‘baby, your name is so powerful, it means ‘God did that. It means it is still him.’
“So don't ever let people change your name because it takes away your superpowers.
“That's essentially, the premise of the book, and the series takes it a step further. For the first time, Isenguye is coming to understand some of the foundations of her identity, and how it links to her culture and family.
“As navigates big school for the first time, she meets all these amazing friends and they're also finding their identity in different ways, through their bodies, their skins, and different backgrounds. there are all these different things that are going to be explored in the series, but it all centres around identity and fun,” adds the 21-year-old.
Sinxoto, who is also the founder of a youth centric non-profit organisation Blackboard Africa, further explains that the book teaches kids about respect, a sense of belonging, and confidence.
“I think this message around the power within our names and really encouraging kids to be the ones to champion making sure that other people understand that is something that I think is a super important message.
“I am excited to translate this universal message and also represent the unique texture of South African culture through the medium of animation.
“I think it's a beautiful medium and it really relates to kids in a very unique way. So when I thought about this message and how I wanted to get it to the kids, literature was always the first thing because literacy is life.
“And it's something that we really do need to be pushing more on South Africa and I think having more content that is our stories and is relatable to the kids will really be a good step and getting us where we need to be.”
“My Big World” is currently available at major bookstores nationwide.
For the past six decades, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival has brought together the industry’s most esteemed professionals to celebrate animation’s creative and diverse styles and techniques.
The Festival is currently taking place in Annecy, until June 17.