In 2008 Airside were commissioned to create the opening and closing title sequences for Anthony Minghella's screen adaptation of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, the first book from Alexander McCall Smith's best-selling series.

Since the story was set in Botswana the titles needed to reflect the film's location, as well as depict various narrative elements from the storyline.

Researching into the areas of Botswana where the book is set, we found a tradition of hand-painted shop signage that perfectly captured the vibrancy of African design. Considering it was a plot point, we felt it was natural to continue this aesthetic through to the title sequences. Sourcing colours from African textiles we hand-painted pieces of wood, creating textures to be used within the animation itself.

Key scenes and characters from the film are presented as the narrative journeys from one title card to the next.

The BBC film was met with commercial and critical acclaim with viewing figures of over 6 million. Such was the film's success a series has been commissioned and Airside has once again been asked to undertake the creation of the opening and closing titles.

1 x Opening title sequence
1 x Closing title sequence, including credits and logos

British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Titles, 2009, (Nomination)

"The titles and animation work from Airside on The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency was meticulous, perfectly judged, beautifully executed and achieved with minimal fuss and a real sense of enthusiastic collaboration. The whole process was impeccable."

Anthony Minghella, Director