A peep into Ian’s idyllic sci-fi world

BY JAMES KAHONGEH

Ian Abraham’s dreams transcend resources, infrastructure and borders in a way that is both inspirational and fascinating. The filmmaker is daring, forward thinking and somewhat rebellious.

A designer by training, Ian has gone where many local filmmakers would dare not go. The 26-year-old graduate of the University of Nairobi is a sci-fi filmmaker with two films under his belt and several other projects in the pipeline.

In his latest film titled Solitude, Ian tells the story of a lonely humanoid who is stuck in a strange planet, with as little as computer generated conversations from a spaceship named Jade for comfort. Attempts by Captain Bazenga Dadii to comprehend how he got there and possibly flee ends in more mystery as the humanoid encounters strange creatures outside the spaceship.

The film, which is packed with hilarious exchanges between Captain Bazenga and Jade, ends in suspense as the character pleads for help from the advancing creatures.

It is an ingenious groundbreaking work of an equally ingenious creator who describes himself as an out-of-the-box innovator and inventor. It took Ian two years to finish the work.

Events in his first sci-fi documentary, titled Space Shot, occur in the distant future at a time of great technological advancements.

Escaping earth
He explains that the effects of global warming have hit devastating levels as a result of increased pollution, overpopulation and environmental destruction. This results in “extreme decline of the habitable state of planet Earth”.

“In an effort to escape the inhabitability of the planet, Mersacury, a space exploration company, develops a transformative way of travelling to space, where it has built a space station big enough to house millions of people.”

Ian notes that this new way of space travel, which involves a smaller ship that is fired like a bullet from a space base, has a lot less carbon footprint, and is much faster than a rocket.
Space Shot features the first launch to space “which might be the key to saving millions of people” trapped in an irreversibly damaged planet.

Ian has a myriad of technical skills spanning 3D printing and design, virtual reality, augmented reality and extended reality.
Other techniques in his stable are 3D modelling, rendering, texturing, lighting and animation. With these skills, Ian can perform virtually any task on a computer. He warns, however, that the execution of these skills isn’t as easy as it looks. 
Storytelling is a core cog in Ian’s passions. His fascination with film, animation, photography, motion graphics and videography all converge at telling stories.

“Beyond a product being manufactured in a sustainable way, what’s the story behind it? Does the manufacturer tell us why it is better than the alternatives in the market?” Ian poses.

But why fantasy? “When people watch movies, it is usually to escape the world temporarily. No genre does this better than fantasy,” he argues.

Ian notes that he decided to create sci-fi to challenge norms, adding that it is time local filmmakers stepped out of the comfort zone by trying out different genres. 

“We have many local stories such as the legend of Luanda Magere and the Nandi Resistance that we could tell differently. We can make them more interesting,” he says.

Not a cheap affair
Producing a sci-fi film is extremely expensive and time consuming. Blockbusters such as Avengers cost upwards of Sh54 billion to make. There are also no studios in the country to screen such works. It is a challenge that Ian is alive to.

“Partnerships with platforms such as HBO and Netflix would help to promote our content. But to be featured on either, the quality of films has to be unquestionably good.”

Thankfully, Marvel Studios and other giant creators have set the standards high, which serves as a guide to upcoming filmmakers.

But gripping short films isn’t the only thing Ian creates. The designer has developed other product prototypes such as shoes and furniture.

In 2018, then a student at the University of Nairobi, Ian participated in a design competition organised by Bata Shoe Company where he was among three finalists.

“Contestants were required to develop a unique shoe design that would then be produced as a limited edition,” he narrates.

As a designer, Ian says he has a passion for addressing every-day problems through design and engineering solutions. In every product that he creates, Ian says that he is guided by space, material and the need to conserve the environment.

“Most houses in Nairobi are very small. Space is a big concern especially for tenants, so I design furniture with small spaces in mind,” Ian explains.

So far, he has designed and made furniture from, among other recyclable material, used car tires. “We refine them so much that you wouldn’t tell they are made from tires.”

To take local film to the next level, Ian argues that filmmakers must refrain from straightforward storylines and go for adventure-themed projects.

[email protected]