South Africans make Star Wars short film

Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke, both from Cape Town, collaborated as co-directors for the short film Aau’s Song, which serves as the concluding piece in the second volume of the Star Wars: Visions anthology. The film is currently available for streaming on Disney+.

The Lucasfilm anthology, Star Wars: Visions, pays homage to the Star Wars universe by showcasing the creative vision of renowned animation studios worldwide.

This includes esteemed studios like Aardman Animation, Cartoon Saloon, Studio LaCachette, Studio Mir, and the trailblasing African animation pioneers, Triggerfish, who are responsible for producing Aau’s Song.

Expanding upon the critically acclaimed first installment of Star Wars: Visions in 2021, the second volume has garnered an exceptional 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Stellar voice cast and musical score in Aau’s Song

Aau’s character is brought to life by the talented young actor Mpilo Jantjie, while Dineo du Toit lends her voice for the character’s singing parts.

Additionally, the cast includes renowned two-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo as Kratu, alongside Safta winner Tumisho Masha and actors Faith Baloyi from Blood Psalms and Flatland.

The exceptional musical score, created by acclaimed South African electronic music legend Markus Wormstorm, incorporates the enchanting vocals of the Cape Town Youth Choir, as well as the voice of Nadia herself.

In Aau’s Song, the story revolves around a young girl who possesses a natural gift for singing. However, her caring yet strict father insists that she remain silent due to the destructive impact her voice has on the precious crystals found in the nearby mines. These crystals, known as kyber, are the source of power for lightsabers.

Collaboration and shared vision in bringing the film to life

Nadia Darries, with a background in performance animation, elaborates on her collaboration with Daniel Clarke in bringing this film to fruition.

“We both grew up within five kilometres of Triggerfish but we actually didn’t really know each other before this.

“We hadn’t spoken and we were a little intimidated by each other. We came from different cultural backgrounds but funnily enough when we spoke, we wanted to tell the same story,” explained Nadia.

Daniel Clarke, known for his roles as a character and production designer in the animation industry, as well as his co-creation of the Kariba graphic novel, also contributed his expertise and creative input to the collaboration of this film.

“We feel very grateful and lucky that our vision aligned so neatly, so quickly.”

Clarke says they discovered the characters through discovering each other.

“There’s something very Star Wars-y about people from different backgrounds coming together with a shared vision and purpose and forging lifelong relationships by going on an adventure together,” he said.

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Personal experiences and cultural influences in Aau’s Song

While Aau’s Song holds universal appeal, it also carries deep personal significance for Nadia.

“The relationships between the characters are all based on our personal experiences: Daniel and his grandfather; me and my father, and my relationship with singing and even the Jedi in the film is inspired by my cousin, who is a sangoma,” said Nadia.

Nadia was raised in a conservative Muslim community where men took on the role of singing due to their religious practices.

However, she would secretly venture out and express her passion for singing by performing in rock bands.

“When I sing, it is my biggest self-healing practice and it reveals so much to me. Something a lot of our cultures in South Africa share is the use of singing and chanting to connect with each other, the land, and spirit. So using the voice as a way to engage with the force was a natural choice for us as South Africans,” she added.

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