New 100% Beninese series on A+ Benin. “Apparences” is a 100% Beninese family saga, produced in Benin with Beninese actors. The series tells a family story where men and women confront and confront each other.
Created by Beninese Christiane Chabi Kao, the series was produced by A+ Bénin in collaboration with Marodi TV. “Apparences” is a fascinating journey into the world of textiles and human relations while introducing Benin through its settings and culture. Love, revenge, the search for power and low blows are mixed to give spice to this new series, the episode of which is spread over 26 minutes.
“‘Apparences’ immerses its audience in a reality so familiar that it is difficult to detach ourselves from the intrigues and twists and turns, from these dreamed stories where only the passion for power justifies alliances,” explained Cléli Azokpota, general director of A+ Benin, Wednesday December 18 in Cotonou, at the premiere of the series.
A will and ambitions
Cléli Azokpota emphasizes that the “Appearances” saga is fully in line with the channel’s strategy. “A desire to be able to develop ambitious projects, to retain viewers, to promote Beninese culture and the country’s talents,” she said. The project that led to the production of the “Apparences” series is ambitious on several levels.
First the volume. The series is produced in 100 26-minute episodes. Then, the assembly. “We managed to create an alliance of creative talents with the support and all the expertise of the successful producer, the Senegalese Massamba Ndour,” suggested the general director of A+ Benin. She sees “Apparences” as an “unprecedented” project with the aim of reaching all of A+Benin’s targets. For her, the “family” theme is a good one to reach a larger number of viewers.
The “Apparences” series, according to the DG, illustrates “the desire of the Beninese State, in collaboration with the Canal+ group, to invest massively in the detection and support of local talents with the aim of contributing to the development of the professions of audiovisual”. The A+ Benin channel and Marodi TV did not invest in the production of the series because they simply wanted to, but because the project is original. The Senegalese producer widely underlined this.
“Finding an interesting story and carrying out such a qualitative project is an important feat,” declared the Senegalese. He insisted on the fact that the project was born thanks to the qualities of the actors, particularly the directors, who created magic around the theme. He also appreciated the casting which he said made the job easier.
Among the Oni
The motto of the “Appearances” series is “Among the Oni, we kiss in public and we tear each other in private.” It illustrates the fierce battles between the members of the Oni family, the main actors of this series whose “dramatic and serial” genres furnished the scenes. This family broke up when Ouéfa Oni-Béka, the main actress, was propelled to the head of Oni Corporation after her studies in France. Her mother-in-law and the rest of the family members stood against her.
Directed by Pape Abdoulaye Seck and Kismath Baguiri, the series “Apparences” was filmed entirely on Beninese soil in 240 days. The production mobilized, according to the technical and artistic sheet, three screenwriters, sixty technicians, six main actors, eighty secondary actors and six hundred extras. The series created, according to the document, 100 direct jobs and 250 indirect jobs.
For its very first broadcast, the A+ Benin channel will meet its viewers on Monday December 23, 2024 at 3 p.m. Benin (2 p.m. GMT).