LIYOKI (YouTube Release 2021)

 Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì 

Liyoki—short film—shows good animation skill sets and runs on an easily followed story pattern. Unlike many short  films that are meant to entertain, this short runs as a message film about gorilla poaching.  The storyline could be stronger and the red squiggles meant to show anger need replacement with something different to show that emotion. The documentary Virunga gets the same message across at a much more powerful level, but this short would serve a young child’s audience well due to its briefness that appeals to a child’s attention span. It does not serve as a good before bedtime watch. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

Poachers kill part of a gorilla’s family. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Directors Armel Boutillon, Thibault Cambresy, Arthur Lefebyre, Jeremy Livingston, Francesca Mccall, Sarah Munos, and Aurelie Tapponnier for directing effort. Thank you to YouTube for hosting the short film and to  ESMA 2020 for providing the means of production. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This is a good show for the young audience, but needs some discussion time after watching to soften the sadness and enhance knowledge about poaching practices. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers