Supa Team 4: Netflix's First African Animation in Trailblazing Debut

Supa Team 4: Netflix's First African Animation in Trailblazing Debut
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Supa Team 4: Netflix's First African Animation in Trailblazing Debut

Supa Team 4: Netflix's First African Animation in Trailblazing Debut

Netflix's first original African animated series premiered on Thursday in a debut its creator said she hoped would pave the way for more productions from the continent.

Set in a futuristic version of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, "Supa Team 4" tells the story of four teen girls who turn undercover superheroes after being recruited by a retired secret agent to save the world.

"I'm excited that the world finally gets to see the fantastic show that the incredibly talented super team, from Africa and beyond, have put together," Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema told AFP in a statement.

"We hope 'Supa Team 4'... will lead to further investment and collaboration so we can continue to grow the industry."

Mulendema created the series after pitching it at a pan-African talent search by animation studio Triggerfish, where she became one of the winners in 2015.

When the show was first announced in 2019, Mulendema said she set the story in her home country to "illustrate that anyone from anywhere can be a superhero".

"(Animation) series shaped our childhoods and to know young Zambians get to see what they've never seen on TV before is Amazing!!" Zambian singer Sampa the Great, who worked on the theme song, wrote on Instagram this month.

Netflix has bet on diversifying its production outside the United States in recent years, scoring big with series including Spanish smash "Money Heist" and South Korean dystopian drama "Squid Game".

In April, the firm said it planned to expand operations in Africa and give "more African storytellers an amplified voice on the global stage".



Christopher Reeve’s Children Want to Honor His Honesty in 'Super/Man' Film

Christopher Reeve and wife Dana pose at The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation 13th Annual "A Magical Evening" Gala in New York in this photo taken on November 24, 2003. (Reuters)
Christopher Reeve and wife Dana pose at The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation 13th Annual "A Magical Evening" Gala in New York in this photo taken on November 24, 2003. (Reuters)
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Christopher Reeve’s Children Want to Honor His Honesty in 'Super/Man' Film

Christopher Reeve and wife Dana pose at The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation 13th Annual "A Magical Evening" Gala in New York in this photo taken on November 24, 2003. (Reuters)
Christopher Reeve and wife Dana pose at The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation 13th Annual "A Magical Evening" Gala in New York in this photo taken on November 24, 2003. (Reuters)

What makes a hero? "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" seeks to address that question by looking at the life of the late actor who once played the Man of Steel but was paralyzed following a horse-riding accident.

The documentary, released in UK cinemas on Friday, charts Reeve's rise to stardom thanks to the 1978 film "Superman" as well as his activism and quest to find a cure for spinal cord injury after becoming a quadriplegic.

It features interviews with his three children, Matthew, Alexandra and William, and a rich archive of home footage before and after the avid sportsman's 1995 accident, showing both tender moments as well as more challenging times.

Reeve, who starred in four "Superman" films and other movies, died in 2004 of heart failure, aged 52. His wife Dana died 17 months later of lung cancer. She was 44.

"It was a huge leap of faith, we decided to sit for interviews and hand over our films and trust that (the directors) would do justice to our dad and Dana’s story, which they did," Alexandra Reeve told Reuters.

"But it’s also a total gift. We sat there in the screening room (after first seeing the film)... and I remember the lights coming up at the end and... one of the first things I said was: ‘You just gave us two hours with our parents again.’"

Reeve's children and co-directors Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui said the film seeks to strike a balance, showing both Reeve's strengths and weaknesses. He is heard talking about his struggles with fame and life after his accident.

"He was always honest and he was always very open and candid ... after the accident, he was very forthright about... any medical setbacks, about his hopes for research in the future," Matthew Reeve said, adding the film wanted to "honor that aspect of his honesty".

Christopher and Dana Reeve campaigned heavily to advocate for people living with paralysis and their carers, raise awareness and fund research.

“My father and mother placed very little, if any, weight on fame or public success. They cared most about the health and love within a family," Will Reeve said.

"They didn’t see themselves as anything more than two human beings just trying get through life as best they could."