Ink & the Wind
Three young people. A poem. A world to understand.
The Series
An 11-year-old boy flees his burning city carrying only the first verses of a mysterious poem.
His quest to find Ibn Battuta becomes an epic journey of discovery across the Golden Age of Islamic civilization, from the Black Sea to the Spice Islands.
Joined by a brilliant young scholar and a griot’s son, he learns that the greatest treasure is not at the end of the road… but the road itself.
Main characters
Selim is an 11-year-old boy from Trebizond, raised by a Muslim scholar on the edge of the Byzantine world.
Zahra is a brilliant young scholar from Fez who trusts books above all else; Kofi, a griot's son from Mali who cannot read a single letter but carries the memory of his people in his voice.
And Al-Rashid acts as an ambiguous merchant who saves Selim for his own reasons.
Artistic Signature
Ink and the Wind is animated in the tradition of Studio Ghibli: emotionally precise, visually rich, and grounded in the beauty of everyday life alongside epic adventure.
In addition to this style, the series carries a unique visual signature.First, luminous Arabic characters — the ayat, the Signs of Allah — appear throughout the sky, clouds, and waves. At first only the viewer sees them. Over three seasons, Selim learns to read them. When a Sign appears, the sound cuts to absolute silence for a few seconds: a dramaturgical choice that honours Islamic theological sensibility while creating one of the series' most powerful recurring moments.
Second, whenever a character recounts Ibn Battuta's passage through their city, the visual register shifts entirely into Persian miniature illumination, with flat perspective, gold leaf, ornate borders. A visual grammar for transmitted memory: what is lived versus what is told.The original score combines three instruments across three worlds. The oud, rooted in Arab-Andalusian tradition, carries the weight of knowledge and transmission. The kora, voice of the West African griot, carries warmth, memory, and the road. Last, the handpan carries the Signs, the sky, and what exceeds human understanding. Together, they create a sound that has never been heard before in animation.
Contact Us
Ink and the Wind is currently seeking co-producers, broadcasters, and distribution partners.
If you are interested in joining this project, whether as a creative partner, a funding body, or a distribution platform, we would love to hear from you.Julien Jayed
Creator, Writer and Artistic Director