Westworld: Thandie Newton talks about her upcoming movie Liyana

Prepare yourselves for Thandie Newton’s gripping and emotional animated documentary, Liyana.

Liyana released on Oct. 10th and has already received critical acclaim and festival awards since it originally premiered last year. Newton is the executive producer behind the project and follows the story of five Swazi orphans that tie back to a girl from Africa who goes on a journey to save her family.

Through storyteller Gcina Mhlophe, Liyana’s fate is decided by the children in the animated part of the film, according to Newsweek. The obstacles Liyana faces are difficult, heartbreaking ones considering her parents die from AIDs and thieves kidnap her twin brothers.

The Swazi orphans bring Liyana’s story to life by looking at their own experiences to imagine what trials and tribulations she is going through and facing. As Newsweek states, watching this movie will uplift your spirits and make you feel hopeful for the future.

Upon learning about the project, Thandie Newton of Westworld felt a connection to it and knew it was something she absolutely had to be a part of.

"“A story like Liyana touched a chord in me. They needed money to finish it, but they also needed a guide to bring it into mainstream media. I was delighted to be that person for them.”"

To put the subject of the documentary into perspective, in 2017 more than 210,000 people were living in Swaziland with HIV and more than 27 percent of adults from the ages of 15 to 49 actually had the virus. Newton can relate to this tragic element whose mother is from Zimbabwe and whose family members have died from AIDS.

These types of obstacles were one of many that the children had to face and for them, it was their normal way of living and coping. Newton also went on to say that, “It’s one hundred percent guaranteed you feel a part of you has healed from watching the film because it instills that feeling of hope that has been crushed out of ourselves.”

The ultimate hopeful message one may take away from Liyana is that while these children may not have everything, they have one thing that even the wealthiest of people don’t–hope in impossible situations.

Check out Liyana in select theatres now!