Raymond Malinga says that he still holds his 2017 animation film ‘A Kalabanda Ate My Homework’ closest to his heart among the films he has worked on thus far.
While speaking on the weekly #MBUspaces via Twitter, Raymond Malinga revealed that he set out to do animations to use them as a tool to limitlessly express his ideas to the world.
“The way I see it, I look at all these mediums as just tools, just an extension of us as human beings. They are a way of letting other humans see what we see in our heads,” Malinga says about his decision to take on animation.
He told the tale of how the ‘A Kalabanda Ate My Homework’ film concept came about and how he deliberately wanted to use animation medium to tell a proper Ugandan story in a modern package to enable anyone around the world to consume it.
“A Kalabanda Ate My Homework is a challenge to me. I came up with the idea while at the University. It is a story that couldn’t come out well for anyone who didn’t grow up in Uganda and that makes it refreshing to the general audience and still relatable.
He revealed how he used the same approach of fusing traditional stories into the modern setting while making Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire which has gained massive reception this year.
Malinga says it is his proudest achievement because it came from scratch and he ended up building a team which he has worked with since, including on the Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire film.
We formed a team, my brother and I, and ended seven people in total who contributed to that film. I know a lot of people might talk about Kizazi Moto and I’m proud of it but I think ‘A Kalabanda Ate My Homework’ is still my proudest achievement because we created it seemingly from nowhere.
The odds were against us and I’m proud that the credits don’t just talk about me but a bunch of other people.
Raymond Malinga
About ‘A Kalabanda Ate My Homework’
‘A Kalabanda Ate My Homework’ is a 7-minute Ugandan animation short film created by Robin Malinga and directed by his blood brother Raymond Malinga.
The film stars Martha Kay, Faith Kisa with Patrick Salvador Idringi and Daniel Omara telling the story of Tendo a primary school pupil who came to school without her homework. When asked why she didn’t hand in her homework, she gives an excuse that a Kalabanda (a mythical creature) ate her homework.
The film received positive reception and has since its release has been selected in a number of festivals, nominated for awards, and won some.
In 2018, Kalabanda won the “Best Creatures Animation” award at Africa International Film Festival in Lagos, Nigeria.