Movie reviews

AFRYKAMERA ONLINE

BUDDHA IN AFRICA

Recommended. A shocking documentary about a Chinese organization collecting orphaned boys from all over Malawi in order to provide them with a future, Asian way. Training kung fu, teaching Chinese and Chinese culture: playing instruments, making tofu, Buddhism - all Chinese way: extensively and intensively, using corporal punishment. To the boys it's both a chance of them to "civilize Africa" in the future but also a risk of forgetting their own language. When you hear their Chinese and see astonishing kung-fu performances, it's obvious it works, they also receive a clear education path bankrolled by sponsors. But the organization overtly speaks about their colonial plans to set up an ACC centre in every African country and boasts of the number of Mandarin speakers bound to surpass that of English speakers worldwide. The film's attractive to watch - bright colours are typical for both cultures.

OF GOOD REPORT

Recommended. Not only is it top-notch noir, the film, in Xhosa mixed with English, also plays with the genre. The lead character utters no word. Certain situations are repeated slightly altered in a different context, e.g. pulling knickers down or up, schoolgirls finding Nolitha in the bathroom or the use of the bat. The movie's quite erotic but extremely brutal - the story combines Eros and Thanatos and both get graphic. The girl's name sounds like Lolita and in the final scene the eponymous book is being closed by the librarian. The sequence of events isn't chronological but is cut perfectly and unambiguously. A masterpiece. The movie's black and white. Ingeniously, a little red man silhouette is dancing to the music accompanying the end credits.

BEYOND MOVING

Recommended. The documentary charts Siphe November's road from Zolani in Western Cape, SA to a ballet school in Canada and touring the world. He's been talented since early years, incredibly muscled already at 11 and by the age of 17 he achieved a mind-blowing softness of movement. His dancing mesmerises and touches to the core. I only have to correct the protagonist - song "Malaika" doesn't originate in South Africa but in East Africa, it's in Swahili. As for languages, he also mentions he can't speak his native Xhosa fluently any more. 

BE POLAR FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

MIHKEL

Recommended. A harrowing story of a drug mule, based on facts. It's tense and intense, which is magnified by fantastic cinematography by Tómas Örn Tómasson. Each setting is emphasised: shabbiness, luxury, feeling blue, each mood and place has its different visuals - the director of photography made full use of his exquisite skills. Perfect make-up presents stages of sickness and death. The script covers all details of the case. Fine performances all around. I didn't expect much of an Estonian-Icelandic co-production but it's superb. And makes use of Estonian and Icelandic landscapes too. 

Shame the film had such tiny subtitles.