Movie reviews

AFRYKAMERA ONLINE

NOTRE-DAME DU NIL (OUR LADY OF THE NILE)

Watchable. Based on the novel of the same title by Scholastique Mukasonga, it depicts life in a school for girls run by nuns in Rwanda in 1973 which serves both to present the theory of black pharaohs and a hypothesis they may have been Tutsis as well as the beginnings of discriminatory practices, e.g. a 10% quota for Tutsis as students. The story of a Hutu schoolgirl's envy against Tutsi girls and their intrigue leading to a pogrom is engaging, finely acted and shot. Only the ending referring to the situation in the whole country seems far-fetched. It looks as if one girl caused a pogrom and a subsequent bloody war. Combining a girl's novel with politics detracts from the gravity of the story. I wonder what made the producers pick the novel rather than the writer's memoirs, i.e. "Cockroaches" - that would be entirely truthful hence would make more sense. 

W POLSKIM OBIEKTYWIE 

4 Polish short documentaries:

TOURING CLUB DE CATASTROPHE

Watchable. Grainy footage of tourism and colonial times, French-accent English-language voiceover - probably referring to the two largest colonizers of the continent - and excerpts of sociodemographic theories which sound so abstract they can prove any theory in the absence of evidence. The opening is confusing - who is writing for who? A bizarre artistic vision and a discourse which can be seen both as a stance for racial equality and as a proclamation of colonization as a natural phenomenon.

ALL ON A MARDI GRASS DAY

Watchable. An ex-junkie talks about Fat Thursday sounding high. Partly a tale of history when runaway slaves were given shelter by Indians and hence now keep paying tribute to them via their Indian-inspired Mardi Gras costumes: lots of plumes and embroidered with smaller or bigger beads, a new costume every year, sewn all days long. Also a story of overcoming one's drug addiction. The area's ridden with drug dealers and kids with no fathers. Also some talk on the gentrification of some wards of New Orleans. Informative but unpleasant to listen to the raspy voice of an uneducated local due to the junkie voice timbre, a huge number of language mistakes and a hard accent. His chants on Mardi Gras sound the same.

The translation into Polish is poor at times.

JESTEM Z DOUMGA (I AM FROM DOUMGA)

Watchable. A personal account of a warm-hearted Senegalese who, after studies in Poland, went on to live in the country and is even on a town council. He talks about how much help he received in the past somewhat downplaying his own skills which made him win one competition after another, whether to get to a Polish university or to land a civil servant job. He presents his Polish and Senegalese extended family. Nothing new culture-wise but he's such a jovial man it was pleasant to hear his life story.

I'm skipping "Kiedy zabraknie ryb" ("Stolen Fish") which I saw at Watch Docs and wrote about earlier this month. 

OBLICZA AFRYKI - AFROSZORTY

8 short films:

WARD'S HENNA PARTY

Watchable. The first half resembled an ethnographic documentary on Egyptian weddings and I wondered why I'd be interested in some stranger's wedding in the first place. But the second half highlights the culture where a man enters a woman's room without knocking, takes half her gift money and, with women's approval and beats up a female henna painter and depicts discrimination against the Sudanese. And it turns out to be an actors' film.

CALL ME NEGUINHO

Watchable. A brief impressionistic documentary on being a Cape Verdean. The protagonist mentions having spent half his life on emigration as well as the slave past of Cabo Verde. You get glimpses of capoeira and the island. That's it. Nothing is shown to support his claims about how the past has affected him, instead he showcases his daughter. The film also doesn't tell you anything you wouldn't have known otherwise.

DA YIE (GOOD NIGHT)

Watchable. The beginning with children playing was uninspiring. When a stranger, from outside Ghana, treats them to lunch and other attractions, it becomes intriguing, even more so, when he makes an unsettling phone call. The ending fails to clarify what it was all about.

COSMOTO

Watchable. Visually attractive, with great editing and an impressive story of soldiers fighting poachers in Zambia. Looks like a promotional video since it highlights their prowess, courage, endurance - not everyone manages to complete the training. Shame this short documentary overlooks to explain why a poacher turns into a wildlife protector. Still, it leaves you grateful such people exist. With the way it's shot, it reminds me of "Rambo" and of how that American feature altered the perception of war veterans by the society. This film should do the same to the attitude to forest guards. 'cause they are heroes.

TIMOUN AW (YOUR KID)

Watchable. A humorous tale of a smalltime Guadeloupean drug-dealer who finds a baby with a message it's his. Engaging but I've seen several films with a similar storyline from all over the world. An iguana on a roof and sugar cane juice are the only special attractions.

KARINGANA: OS MORTOS NAO CONTAM ESTORIAS (THE DEAD TELL NO TALES)

Watchable. A tribute to those who lost their spirits, while still alive, in the Mozambican war. Black and white, slightly poetic, solemn yet superficial. No mention of what happened at war or to the people's psyche afterwards. 

RASTA

Watchable. I only waited to see what happens next. But this excessively expressive film consists of a simple story and erratic actions, the conversation with the killed rebel's mother is pure nonsense, especially: "Maybe they wouldn't join rebels if they had a mother like you." Plain stupid. I only give it credit for bringing the Ivory Coast rebellion to attention. 

KAUNAPAWA (INVISIBLES)

Watchable. Picture-perfect shots mix with ordinary ones in this Namibian poetic vision of departing.

KRAINA 1000 OPOWIESCI - RWANDA

7 short films:

MUGABO

Watchable. I hated the ear-piercing high tone music. Story-wise, it's about returning to your home country after years. While you may guess the girl is a war refugee, the coming back is like from any other emigration.

I GOT MY THINGS AND LEFT

Watchable. A group of youngsters gather around the coffin of a friend who died at 27 and talks about nothing in particular. I only liked the statement that even if there is another life after this one there's no point in living preparing for it - that pretty much does away with Christianity - and the butterflies a girl has attached to her face, hair and tights. The rest just drags. 

LA MAZDA JAUNE ET LA SAINTETE (THE YELLOW MAZDA AND HIS HOLINESS)

Watchable. A documentary family memoir. Peculiar the 17-year-old girl had no objections to marrying a man much older than herself. Him being a priest at the time was the least problem. The film would suit a family video album rather than a general release if it weren't for the opening when the narrator informs an opening scene speaks of the author's soul.

IBIHOZO (ROCKABYE)

Watchable. A black and white tale of a prostitute coping with her son's suffering from bullying triggered by her profession. Could be set anywhere in the world.

TORMENT

Watchable. A full-colour mock interview with a prostitute. She also has a little boy. Engaging, at the end you get to know why the young man questions her. Still, nothing I wouldn't have heard before.

WAITING

Watchable. A simple story which plays with your idea which waiting is meant in the title. Ingenious ending. But the wait for the finale feels lengthy.

LUNA

Watchable. A protracted short film about children of the street who have run from domestic violence. The story makes sense, just feels too long.

The Rwandan films show the current standard of living matches European, they have access to the same technologies too. They only have no clue how to build a story.