Short answer:

It’s still going.

Long answer:

Well, here we go… In late 2018, I restarted the animation production after receiving feedback from a lot of people I trust. Those feedback was important for me to restart the production. The version from then was 75% completed by December 2019. In February 2020, I released the trailer and I received more positive feedback. I even shared some rendered scenes from the animated film to those same people who reviewed the previous version, and I got a lot of great responds. It made me happy and got me motivated. The animated film was scheduled to be ready by November 2020.

In that same year, a month after the trailer’s release, the pandemic hit, and it hit me big time. What do I mean by that? Aside from me as a filmmaker, I mostly work as a full-time designer in a big telecommunication company with proper salaries and working from home with a lot of unusually given tasks interfered with my project. I was also not doing well financially (until now), and I did my very best to have that movie ready by November of that year. In the middle of 2020, I had to halt the project. I mentally cannot handle on what was going on from my side. I honestly thought the pandemic is just going to come and go but… here we are, still working from home… Whatever is given to me from work was just too much, especially on tasks I’m not truly specialized.

To be honest with you, I almost wanted to quit but not only the project but as a filmmaker but I’m so glad to have a wife to convince me to keep on fighting to keep what I love doing. If it weren’t for her, I would have announced that I’ve not only cancelled the project but also my profession as a filmmaker and just stick to my full-time job. I’ve had comments from friends telling me to quit my full-time job and just stick to what I love but it’s not that simple. First of all, filmmaking business in where I’m living (especially as a local) isn’t ideal. Second, I’m married with 2-year-old son and second on the way. Third, I have bills and debts to pay.

When I halted the project for a long time, I concentrated on the job and spent more time with the family. I managed to pay at least half of my debts along with my own personally savings (which I kept for my projects, but saving my family is more important).

In November 2020, I re-watched the trailer and the 75% of THE HEART OF THEM I’ve done… I cried. The project I think can change my life forever isn’t done and was supposed to be done in that month broke me. I started the project since September 2013, had the screenplays and scripts ready two years later and recordings done from 2015 to 2018. When I tried to get back to work on my project, …I was completely lost. I did read the guidelines I created for this project, but for whatever reason I just can’t seem to get back to it… It broke me even more. It’s the style I’ve worked from 2018 to 2020 daily and then halting the production for almost one year ruined almost everything. I’ve spent two months reviewing the guideline. I’ve decided to take what I learned from that guideline and create a new (and proper) guideline with consistency. This new guideline is what I will be using for a long time.

When I halted the project in 2020, I would usually carry my iPad Pro and brainstorm new ideas. When I re-watched one of my older short animated films called CHILDREN I’ve made in 2011, I realized that this one’s story need an update. I wrote down on how I could improve the story and I reached to the point that the story length became its own feature-length. I was actually proud of what I came up so far and continued. Last January, I’ve completed the reimagined version ‘Children’ but is now called A KING NO MORE. I’d honestly it is my proudest story I’ve written yet and I can’t wait to even start once I’m done with THE HEART OF THEM, but that’s the thing, when will I be done with that animated film? The honest answer is that it’s still going on, but slow. With the pandemic still going on, it’s safe to say that film festivals can wait while I’m busy dealing with my current situations.

You have my wife to thank for not having me quitting as a filmmaker and continuing with my animated film projects. I cannot promise you that my animated film will be ready this or even next year but keep in mind that I’m not giving up! This is the time I need to adapt with this new lifestyle we’re still entering.

One last thing…

For those who’re still here, thank you. It means a lot to me…

Regards,

Mohammad Ahmed Fikree