With Qatar under the global spotlight as the host of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, young Qataris have launched the first animated local web series called ‘Kawkabani’, after the main character of the show. Kawkabani is derived from the word kawkab, which means planet in Arabic.
Qatar’s News Agency (QNA) reported that the five-episode series, which is in Arabic, aims to introduce the global audience to the local culture whilst promoting the major sporting event.
It was produced by Nefaish Animation Studio, written and scripted by Qatari writer Amal Al Shammari, and directed by Hossein Heydar. The show’s 11-minute episodes follow the story of Kawkabani, a lost alien in Qatar. The alien, who has never missed a World Cup, crashed his spaceship in the Sealine desert on his way to the sporting event in Qatar.
Luck appears to be in Kawkabani’s favour when he is found by three Qatari young men who guide hime around the country and introduce him to the culture.
Commenting on the purpose of animation, Heydar said that the approach itself is a global language that can be understood by people of all ages and nationalities. He said that the series is the result of the creators’ cooperation with different local entities and talents in an effort to compete with a global market.
The show is backed by Qatar’s World Cup organising body, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC). The project has also been supported by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) and Vodafone Qatar.
Source: Doha News
