The Odyssey of Iz Soundtrack Pilot by Sariya Ismail
The Odyssey of Iz
An adventure that involves time travel, a talking chevron trade bead and a young Sudanese girl. Izdihar finds a beautiful bead on the desert sands one night after a giant haboob dust storm. Desperate to leave the village before her parents marry her off to an old man, she asks the bead to take her back through its life.
Sariya Ismail
Screenwriter and music composer/producer with over six years of experience specializing in narrative storytelling, character dialogue, symbolism, and editing. Sariya worked alongside award winning author Cristina Kessler to adapt her novel The Odyssey of Iz into a pilot script for a motion picture. He has also developed a pilot soundtrack bringing to life the amazing journey of Iz and Bella.
Sariya specializes in electric/acoustic guitar, bass, orchestral arrangement, and midi-based composition. Musical endeavors have taken the form of compositions in the style of Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Yoko Kano, and Jamie Christopherson, drawing inspiration from many films, video games, and television shows. Sariya diligently aims to have a storied and cinematic quality to his compositions.
“Izdihar’s story of determination, crossing cultural boundaries and pursuing her dream inspired me to write this book and go from page to screen. Like all of my young adult novels and picture books, this one is based on numerous experiences taken directly from my journals. Madame N’Dour of Senegal was my neighbor in Mali. Her powers were evident to me from early on and although all we had in common was a shared wall we did eventually evolve into friends, sharing what was one of IZ’s discoveries, the importance of mutual respect. The Wodabbe and Fulani celebrations are events embedded in my memory bank.
Bella and IZ form a team that has them laughing, fighting, glaring, loving, and always talking. Their travels are made possible by being invisible so the bead, that IZ names Bella, can take her back to all her owners, trades, good times, and bad times. Their relationship is the way Bella teaches her about the shortcomings of being judgmental, the advantages of leading by example rather than demands, the beauty of the countries they visit, the joy of having an open mind, and the realization that war is not new.”
– Cristina Kessler