Omuninyan



Omuninyan is an animated short that is adapted from a tale from Namibia, Africa. It is an episode part of the anthology series "Animated Tales of the World". It is a retelling of the classic fairy tale "Cinderella."

Summary
Set in the village on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, Omuninyan is a maiden who must endure the harsh treatment of her stepmother and stepsister while her father Tate is away by cooking, cleaning, and doing chores. Feeling sad about her harsh treatment, a wind spirit suddenly appears and tells her "to be brave and strong" and that "everything will be all right". Omuninyan goes back to her stepmother and stepsister who force her to make a big fire at night to keep the lions away. That night, Omuninyan tries to make fire to keep the lions away, but the wind spirit suddenly arrives again. She then tells the wind spirit that her father is alone in the night by keeping him safe and bring him home soon.

The next day, her father Tate arrives to his daughter. Omuninyan is very happy that her father Tate is safe by reuniting with him. Tate then shows his daughter some of the gifts he brought for her. It is then explained that it was very hot, so he lay down a tree for shade and a lion soon started approaching. He then threw his spear at the lion, defeating him (this is the reason why he was far away). Omuninyan thinks the wind spirit did this, but Tate says it was the tree who saved him. She then receives the seed of the same tree from faraway and makes a suggestion to plant it on her mother's grave where it would protect her. Tate then says that he has more deliveries to bring. Omuninyan then plants the seed on her mother's grave in which she mourns the loss of her mother. The wind spirit suddenly arrives to the spot with her mother's grave, causing the camel thorn to grow quickly. The spirit then summons a dove to live in the tree and whenever she needs help, the dove will help her. Omuninyan is very happy for thanking the wind spirit for her help.

Suddenly, Omuninyan hears her stepsister calling her with her harsh name in which the wind spirit says that she must leave now. Omuninyan is forced to help prepare for the feast of Chief Totwe by polishing the beads. Upon dropping the beads, her parents harshly force her to put all the beads back into the pot. Suddenly, the dove summoned by the wind spirit was able to clean the mess by putting all the beads back into the pot, polishing them. She then thanks the dove for her help by cleaning the beads and putting them back into the pot. She then arrives back to her stepmother to know if she can go to the feast, but the problem is that Omuninyan must find a large clay pot to store the beads by going to the river. Meanwhile at the river, the wind spirit suddenly arrives again and turns the pot into an ox as Omuninyan is transformed into a princess. The wind spirit then takes her to the feast hosted by Chief Totwe. Omuninyan meets the chief who introduces her to his son Sibata.

After meeting the chief and his son, Omuninyan participates in the dance of the maidens with Sibata, the chief's son. Meanwhile, Omuninyan suddenly hears a rooster meaning that dawn is almost arriving. She then suddenly arrives back home before dawn, leaving the anklet made of beads on the village. Meanwhile, Tate then receives the anklet in which the dove dropped and whoever's necklace fits will be his bridge. Is is then revealed that anklet doesn't fit on any of the women, including the stepsister. Prince Sibata started thinking that the Sangoma (a traditional healer of South Africa) will know the truth.

The dove is then worried that a lie was told at the homestead. Prince Sibata and the tribe arrive to the homestead, in which the dove then explains to the chief that there was harsh treatment at the homestead with Omuninyan and her family. The anklet suddenly fits perfectly on Omuninyan, and Prince Sibata asks her for her marriage with him. Omuninyan suddenly marries the prince and the chief is angry with the stepmother and the stepsister for lying and cruel treatment to Omuninyan. As punishment, the stepmother and stepsister must leave the homestead for their cruel treatment. Princess Omuninyan and Prince Sibata live happily ever after.

Voice Cast

 * Essi Schimming-Chase - Omuninyan


 * Fredirck Philander - Chief Totwe


 * Boli Mootseng - Sibata


 * Audrey Mootseng - The Stepmother


 * Thereza Kaharongo - The Stepsister


 * Natasha Lamoela - The Wind Spirit


 * Johanna Urikhos - The Dove


 * Ricardo Mosimane - Tate


 * Jacques Simpson Hoabeb - Friend 1


 * Obed Emvula - Friend 2


 * Johana Muatara - Ulelating

Trivia

 * Unlike most animated shorts that are animated in the style of traditional animation and stop-motion, this short uses the style of CGI animation.