« First Award » at the Europ Unlimited festival. Berlin, Germany. Novemmber 2014

« Miniyamba – Walking Blues is a stunning animation film that absolutely convinced by their imagery, music and style of narration. This fantastic film puts an immense amount of work: Luc Perez used real footages. The technique of rotoscoping the material is subsequently alienated. This method is excellent suitable for Miniyamba’s narration. Subsequently, charcoal, pastel and sand animation are used as animation techniques and combined in compositing into a coherent overall picture. The result can not be felt as two years of work, But it spin easily this in a deeply sad and charming story. In Miniyamba – Walking Blues a perspective shift takes place. Fortress Europe blurred the face of African Exodus experience. The people are on a journey through Africa, stranded at various points. They move on, exposed to constant danger and some come through. Survival is supported by the cultural baggage of travelers. Here, through music, acting, transcending time and space. In music, a harmonious transformation takes place. With its impressive visuality it shows the desire for freedom and search for a better place to live. The volatility of encounters, places, the chimerical emerging and disappearing of buildings, people and borders insistently told by EXODUS. This movie is sad but hopeless in no time. And it tells that the reason is also vehemently the European history: The exodus has also influenced Europe and Europe is still impressed. Both sides of the coin. Luc Perez uses a narrative to get away from the concrete towards universal experience. The film tells the story of Exodus, which is inhuman and get their reasons in most European-centered narratives. Our attention is directed to multiple boundaries that are not true on the European continent, but thoroughly European – between the artificially figured nation-states in Africa. In this film, the people have a voice on the run, remind us of the dignity of man and the power of music. »

« Yoram Gross Award for Best International Animation » at the FLiCKERFEST. Sidney, Australia. January 2014

« Special Mention Award » and « Junior Jury Award » at the National animated film festival. Bruz, France. December 2013

« Miniyamba confirms that animation can tackle difficult and painful subjects, venturing into the realm of documentary frontal, without misery, without Manichaeism, and every technical choice produces a wide range of emotions and can watch with lucidity a tragic reality without despair of Mankind. »

« Region Rhône-Alpes Award » at the 34th Villeurbanne shortfilm festival. Villeurbanne, France. November 2013

« Special Mention » at the 29th Interfilm festival in Berlin, Germany. November 2013

« The special mention goes To the animated film Miniyamba for artistic approach to a difficult and complex story of hardship and migrant’s risky journey from sub-saharan Africa to Europe. It is a film of powerfull and colorful images combined with rich soundscape and marvelous music – creating a strong harmonic and lasting impression. »

« Best music Award » at the International Festival of Animated Films TOFUZI. Batuni, Georgia. October 2013

« Audiance Award » at the first Hendaia film festival in Hendaye, France. October 2013

« Art World Special Award » at the « Normadie et le Monde film festival » in Vernon, France. October 2013

Best Animation shortfilm award at the Alpinale festival. Nemzig, Austria. August 2013

« Luc Perez, deals with the controversial and sensitive subject of immigration. The jury awarded him for his insightful and captivating approach to storytelling. »

« Best music Mention » at the ANIBAR Animation shortfilm festival. Peja, Kosovo. August 2013

« A sumptuous animated film, with sweeps of painted color, following the efforts of a Mali blues singer to leave his native Africa for Europe, exposing his soulful music to a new audience. The marvelous music, aided by the gorgeous visuals, make this a memorable, visual feast. » Press review by huffingtonpost.com

Official trailer

Trailer 1

Miniyamba — Walking blues

Like thousands of people around the world who every day leave their homeland, Abdu, a young Malian, has decided to reach Europe. A trip to the Niger River to the barbed wire of the Ceuta, where dreams are confronted with the harsh reality, the distant lights of the West …

MINIYAMBA is the name of a mythical boa encircling a village where people could not leave. A woman managed to charm the animal by promising to return to tell him about the world. This story, in various forms, has become a griot song that everyone knows in western Africa. It symbolizes for me the Europe preferring building gates and fences rather than embrace the world …