Amir Kasavandi, the producer of the animated series “Linaluna Stories”, shared insights into the production and broadcast of the show on Iran’s Children’s Network. The series introduces a whimsical character named Linaluna, a fantastical being who significantly influences the story’s progression by helping the main character find answers.
Adapting Claire Joubert’s Beloved Children’s Books
According to IBland’s news, the 18-episode series, with each episode running for approximately nine minutes, is an adaptation of the works of Claire Joubert, a long-time resident author in Iran known for her insightful children’s literature. Since the original stories were too short for a nine-minute animation format; some being only a few pages or lines; the production team had to craft a unified narrative structure.
The central narrative of Linaluna’s Stories focuses on one of Joubert’s young female protagonists. The plots revolve around social, behavioral, and ethical issues relevant to young viewers. By incorporating animal characters, the series aims to maintain a modern, relatable tone while providing clear answers to the questions children naturally have.
Linaluna stories: The Fantastical Key to Finding Answers
The key to the series’ unique approach is Linaluna. As a fantastical entity, Linaluna enters the story to assist the young heroine in solving problems and arriving at the answers to her questions. Kasavandi emphasizes that the primary goal of the series is to address the genuine curiosity and mental questions of today’s children.
The production involved adding crucial narrative elements to Joubert’s short tales to give them a suitable media structure. For instance, the very first episode centers on the topic of Hijab.
Delicate and Profound Themes for Young Audiences
Kasavandi highlights that the stories by Claire Joubert offer a gentle yet profound perspective. They manage to explain complex ethical and religious concepts to children without delving into theoretical complications. He mentions an example from the book “A Thousand Fluttering Kisses”, which beautifully narrates a loving relationship between a millipede and a ladybug, or another story that introduces the concept of Monotheism through a simple dialogue about the sun. The team secured agreements with the author and publisher for the adaptation of the book content and illustrations.
Linaluna Stories is specifically designed for children in the pre-school age group up to the second grade of elementary school.
Source: Mehrnews