Online streaming giant, Netflix’s, first African-made production, Queen Sono, a spy thriller starring South African lead actress Pearl Thusi, of recent has been making waves since its launch on Friday.
Created and directed by leading local satirist and also actor Kagiso Lediga, Queen Sono is part of Netflix’s broader strategy, “Made in Africa, Seen by the World”, and one of its first investments in the continent.
This is a moment. This is history. This is Netflix’s first African Original. #QueenSono pic.twitter.com/1NEIwNGHju
— Netflix South Africa (@NetflixSA) February 27, 2020
Filmed in more than 37 locations, including Kenya, Nigeria, Zanzibar, and South Africa – Queen Sono is Africa’s first original screenplay series.
Netflix Africa manager Dorothy Ghettuba describes the film as “an exciting action thriller (that) … follows the life of Queen Sono, a highly trained secret spy who works for South Africans”.
“I have always been the face of a strong African woman; it’s not new to me, but now I’m representing a character on the screen that, I think, reflects all strong African women and black African women, ”said Thusi, who is also a star in Kenya’s thriller series,“ Quantico ”. ”.
The production shows “exactly what we want to do, which is telling stories about Africa by Africans,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s content director.
For creator and director Lediga, “there are so many stories, so many great filmmakers on the continent that I can’t wait to see what happens after that”.
“It shows that we, as Africans, can do things ourselves, we don’t need Europeans, Asians or anyone else to tell our own stories. We understand each other and we can tell our story better than anyone else ”.
Days after its release, many expressed enormous love for the series on social media, saying it was time for Africa to start telling its own stories.
what makes Queen Sono so revolutionary, is the fully served story of african women fighting and saving the continent as it always have been.
Someone commission me to write about Queen Sono and how it tells the very needed story: AFRICAN WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS SAVED THE CONTINENT
— Judicaelle Irakoze (@Judicaelle_) March 3, 2020
Queen Sono is soooooooooo good. Six episodes is NOT enough. Why does it end?? When is season 2 coming out??
— Ama Qamata (@ama_qamata) March 1, 2020
This scene 😩😍😍. She did not come to play 👏🏼#QueenSonoNetflix #QueenSono pic.twitter.com/aGr5o0VFUH
— Kaylene Williamson (@imKayleneSophia) February 29, 2020
