Owin’s Back

Feature Film Project

Developed with Michael Rose

It’s been two years since Owin witnessed his father, Obaysch, shot down by poachers. Now, the underhanded Kiboko rules the hippo herd as if they were his personal servants- saving his most venomous wrath for the “son of Obaysch.” Still, Owin finds happiness in the budding love he shares with the hippo-girl, Malaika.

To finally rid himself of Owin, Kiboko makes a deal with two desperate jackals who conspire to send Owin over a waterfall. This propels the young hippo on an adventure that leads him to discover his father is actually alive, but not for long- as he is soon to be the “prize kill” for a big-game hunter. Now, Owin must battle man, nature and his own fears in a race against time to save his father’s life, and confront the illegitimate leader intent on marrying his one true love.

Owin’s Back is a classic hero’s tale and coming-of-age story. Against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro we see: Obaysch and Owin charging down a riverbed in an underwater training session; Owin fending off crocodiles in a swampy pit; locusts swarming across the Savannah like a black tsunami; a magical musical animal dance; a philosophical discussion with a mystical tree frog concerning the culinary wonders of insects; alpha hippos baring impressive tusks in battle, and a big-time game park owner in a high-stakes safari.

Owin’s Back is full of multi-dimensional characters that audiences will identify with, cheer onwards and applaud in their demise. From the clumsy Oxpecker who breaks her wing, (but not her spirit or sense of humor), to the evil herd leader who will never gain the legitimacy he seeks no matter how brutal he becomes. There’s a love-lorn warthog whose sense of smell is most refined, a shape-shifting tree-frog who takes Owin on a surreal ride through a “dream-forest,” and a pair of wacky jackals seeking justice and retribution.

Within the human world of the story is an old-school big-game hunter, the poachers he employs, and the foreigner who wants to shoot “something big and dangerous.” There are also Park Rangers who struggle to care for the African wildlife- and unwittingly cage Owin in his most desperate hour. The story explores the fragile relationship between humans and animals, and the economic inequalities that lead men to do things they know are wrong.

In the end, Owin’s Back is a timeless tale of a hippo boy who journeys into the unknown, faces his greatest fears and fights to fulfill his destiny. In his struggle he experiences the anguish of sacrifice, the power of love, and the bond between father and son. Like “Finding Nemo,” Owin is searching for lost family, while confronting the legacy passed on by his father, as in “The Lion King.” The story has a magical quality, in the spirit of “Spirited Away,” yet deals with the harsh reality of deception and injustice. Perfectly suited for the animated medium, Owin’s Back will touch the hearts of young and old alike with its sense of joy, humor and wonder- and its universal message of destiny and love. If you believe in yourself, you can get back home.