Movie reviews

AFRYKAMERA 2018

طلق صناعي (INDUCED LABOR)

Recommended. A pleasant tragicomedy turns into a political hostage thriller when a desperate man and hostages get caught up in international relations. Gripping throughout. Shows cultural differences between Egyptian and American ways of conflict resolution. Great lead actor - ماجد الكدواني (Maged El Kedwany).

ALI MIZAH WA IBRAHIM (ALI, THE GOAT & IBRAHIM)

Watchable. A weird but warm tale full of love of animals - in its own bizarre way but still. About luck and providence as well. The little white goat is cute. It's also poor Egypt, with alcohol, prostitution, police aggression and thugs attacking people in full impunity. The sound in the technician's head which features in the movie is truly annoying. I had to cover my ears.

UMA MEMORIA EM TRES ATOS (A MEMORY IN THREE ACTS)

Watchable. The fascinating topic of Portuguese colonialism, the occupation of Mozambique and torture under the rule gets ruined by an annoying soundtrack and the documentary being comprised of talking heads. Talking all in the same melodious but monotonous intonation. The picture that emerges from their testimonies, when you force yourself to pay attention, is one of Portuguese occupants treating their African subjects almost like slaves - paying them for work on landlords' estates but making the work obligatory. It was also a dictatorship with special agents spying on citizens, holding and torturing political prisoners. Yet the interviewees only vaguely mention the oppression and their ordeals. You never hear what happened in the designated torture part of the building. They mention the use of a palmatoria but fail to explain why it was dreaded so much.

SHORT FILMS SECTION: SECRETS OF LUSOPHONIA

BIOJOIAS - BIZUTERIA Z RYBICH LUSEK Z WYSP ZIELONEGO PRZYLADKA

Watchable. The fish scale jewellery is surprisingly beautiful, flower-like. The 3-minute film's too short.

NYO VWETA NAFTA

Watchable. About young lads' dreams. They're naive, lacking education and life experience so the film's simple but with some charm.

MINA KIA (LITTLE MAID)

Recommended. A significant fictitious film about a teenage girl made a slave and even sexually abused in her uncle's house where she was sent because of school - a common problem in Africa. Colourful, presenting the daughter versus niece clashes realistically. With a happy ending.

PA NHA TERA (FOR MY LAND)

Watchable. I learnt about two fishing net types: the less durable ones disintegrate in water, therefore are safe for fish. The rest is just grumbling about junk on the shore.

HORA DI BAI (TIME TO GO)

Watchable. About local funeral traditions in Cabo Verde and attitudes to death: one's own and that of a family member. Informative but some bits are too religious.

PERCUSOS (TRACKS)

Watchable. About an emigrant fisherman's career so hardly interesting. But it ends in the best music of the seven shorts. The fisherman's voice also has a pleasant timbre and accent.

VESTINDO A RELIGIAO (YOUR RELIGION)

Watchable. More spiritual than I expected. The "radical" islam here is of a peaceful kind. The film's rather about prejudice towards covered women and her belief Islam should rule the world as she perceives man and women segregation and modest clothing as a superior way of living.


MAPUTO - ETNOGRAFIA DE UMA CIDADE DIVIDIDA (MAPUTO - AN ETNOGRAPHY OF A DIVIDED CITY)

Watchable. Will educated children living on a stinking rubbish heap build a better future or perpetuate what they identify as normal: the stench? What's the entry income level to live in a city? These questions are raised in this protracted documentary. I liked the varied footage: interviews, presenting the inhabitants' surroundings and living conditions, accelerated traffic and market vending sequences. It does show a few levels of living standards but also throws in a boxing girl and a priest - protagonists whose degree of material comfort remains unknown so they are kind of on the side track of the subject matter. Prolonged sequences of people's daily grind take too much time too. The music's good though.