“Iwájú”, the African Disney+ series whose conflict is social inequality

In one of the scenes from the Disney+ series, “Iwajú”, Kole, an orphan boy, fixes the garden of his best friend, Tola, the little daughter of a millionaire robotics engineer. When she mentions how sparkling the courtyard of her mansion was after Kole’s arduous cleaning, there is a line of dialogue in the Yoruba language (Africa) that the character recites: “Oki o mo iye aa ra ago”, which means “The privilege they only see the beauty,” and continues, “but they don’t see the price that comes with making it happen.” It is a direct complaint to his status as a wealthy person versus his, an employee who is cornered to a lower level by the rest of African society.

In the African Yoruba language, “Iwajú” means “the day ahead”, the future tense. In this sense, in addition to being the first Disney+ original series produced by an external studio and Nigerian producers, Kugali, the story also presents a futuristic world filled with impressive transportation routes and cutting-edge technology. It premieres on April 3 on the Latin American streaming platform and will have six episodes, one more tender and complex than the other, but which ultimately leaves a moving moral.

Trailer for “Iwajú”

The story begins with Tola, a girl capable of seeing beyond the “privilege” in the eyes of her best friend Kole and other people. It is set 100 years in the future of Lagos (Nigeria), a unique island on the African continent where most people have a lot of money. “It was our love letter to Lagos,” says screenwriter Olufikayo “Ziki” Adeola (Nigeria) to El Comercio’s Skip Intro during a virtual interview with the creators of the Disney+ animated series, including animators Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku ( Nigeria) and Hamid Ibrahim (Uganda).

The series addresses difficult topics, such as the kidnapping of children in the city, discussions about social classes, among others, through the eyes of Kole and the villain Bode DeSousa, with a giant and chilling appearance, who believes himself to be a Robin Hood. giving crumbs of pay to his employees, but in reality he is the most feared gangster in the city.

During the interview, the African producers also mentioned the cute robot lizard, Otin, Tola’s pet and the person primarily responsible for his safety. Otin was created in reference to a common animal from West Africa. “We chose this species to give authenticity to the drawing, rather than just a pet dog,” he says.

In short, “Ziki”, in the company of his colleagues and friends, Olowofoyeku and Ibrahim, have been working on “Iwájú” for five years and, finally, see the dream come true. It is a story that, through the eyes of a girl, breaks the barriers of rejection, poverty and inequality, when she travels to a futuristic Lagos, at the expense of her overprotective father and the dangers of the city.

“Iwajú” breathes Nigeria everywhere. How do you think Latin Americans can connect with a story from another continent, like Africa?

Olufikayo: First of all, I see some parallels, because part of what we have done is that we have tackled some very difficult issues, such as inequality, social class, challenging the ‘status quo’, and from what I know of Latin American culture, I think there are very similar dynamics. There are challenges, when it comes to inequality. There are people who want to see a better version of their societies and want to challenge those things. But others are fed up with the system and have become more cynical, because ‘Iwajú’ talks about a young woman who inspires men tired of having aspirations about the future that are unattainable in history. It’s something a Latin American audience could relate to, in addition to some of the more mature topics we cover.

How important do you think it is to talk about privilege in this series?

Toluwalakin: I don’t think it’s more about why talk about privilege, but rather that in telling a story about Lagos, it’s impossible not to touch on the physical division that exists. Lagos is literally remote being an island on a large continent in real life. If you watch almost any comedy show in Nigeria, even if it’s not in Lagos, I can guarantee they will make a joke about the island versus the mainland, because it’s always fun to talk about the social differences between the two. The thing is, though, many people are privileged and don’t even realize they are privileged until much later. In fact, I clearly remember a member of my family when he was much younger, and how that person complained that we didn’t adjust to things, because he didn’t realize how privileged we were. We were all on the island, therefore everyone was rich (a lot of money), so it is a bubble that has you without interacting with people from other realities.

Finally, what is the message that you want to convey with what you said to children and adults?

Hamid: People who live in Lagos will identify some things that I, originally from Uganda, do not see, as well as others that in the West they will. Children can learn some lessons, because it is also a program designed for them to have fun. I hope they enjoy it and feel the tension of the series, and this becomes a memorable show for them. For adults, there are many things. A key, I hope, is that they take away the way Tola, the girl protagonist, goes against the ‘status quo’ to try to inspire adults to do things differently. In many African cultures, speaking from Uganda personally, there are only certain routes that are acceptable to follow. If you deviate, you are almost making a big mistake. Hopefully this show will show people that, but I won’t say more so as not to make any more ‘spoilers’ for the series finale.