AFRYKAMERA 2023 ONLINE
FOR LOVE
Watchable. I understand why this short won the audience award. It's truly touching. But the story, even though simple: a woman proposes to her lover so that she is allowed to stay in the UK, has an incomprehensible twist - I knew some twist was coming but the ending is perplexing.
THE HOMES WE CARRY
Watchable. I guess the dual or triple national identity may be an issue for people since it was voted the best documentary by the audience, even though this observational film, apart from giving you the rough picture of Madgermanes' predicament: both Germany where they trained and Mozambique let them down, is a 1.5-hour documentary which just shows family life - pleasant, warm but nothing interesting there.
ملكات (QUEENS)
Recommended. Voted best feature film by the festival audience, western-like, structured like "Thelma & Louise", but with Moroccan landscapes, music, social customs and folk beliefs, it's a riveting adventure. Wonderful cinematography, an engaging plot, where Moroccan reality twists the story. It's a special.
CLASHING DIFFERENCES
Watchable. A damn smart satire on political correctness, leftist ideologies - made by women and acted by women. With great music. The only downside is it forces you to constantly analyse what is being sad. It's quite intellectual. But visually colourful, dynamic. Fun. German but versatile.
MILISUTHANDO
Switched off. While most films about South Africa deal with the discriminatory practices of apartheid or its fall, this one is a unique presentation of its beginnings. Ones fully approved of and welcomed by blacks. But daily family life - unlike any other - and narration, poetic kind, constitute most of the film. The interviews with children are boring and don't bring any new information. This important message gets ruined by the protracted form. A documentary over 2 hours long is always a forewarning. It could do with serious editing.
BELLY FLOP
Watchable. This 5-minute-long cartoon is a simple story of envy at a swimming pool. The ending boosting a fat black girl's confidence is simplistic. But it's a light holiday film.
AL DJANAT, PARADIS ORIGINEL (AL DJANAT - THE ORIGINAL PARADISE)
Switched off. Whereas "Our fathers managed to restrain their women. They kept them in line." speaks volumes about Burkina Faso, motorbikes, tedious rent collecting and disputes on a potential sale ruin this documentary. It's French so presented as if in real time, no cutting short.
SUMARA MARE
Recommended. This short documentary encompasses all problems of Cabo Verde: poverty, hunger, men's laziness, environmental damage. Brief and to the point.
FOR LOVE
Watchable again. No knowing immigration regulations still hinders understanding but I guess that now, having watched carefully, I know what point it ends at.
NAPOLEON
Watchable. While it's roughly based on historical events, this shot in Malta blockbuster takes great liberty in treating historical detail, the psychology of the protagonists or social norms. Its approach is modern and American through and through. The final notes stress the 61 battles he fought cost the lives of 3 million people. But, for what we know from history, Napoleon was a Machiavellian narcissistic psychopath, Josephine is likely to have been akin to him. Instead, while Joaquin Phoenix's interpretation of the genius strategist is compelling, it's highly unlikely he'd run in fear or mumble. What stands out is interesting, Atmos-recorded, music, best during the end credits. Lots of extras, little accuracy. Poor cinematography where everything looks the same gray. At least it's dynamic so you don't feel the 2 hours 40 minutes, the action feels sketchy rather.
IT LIVES INSIDE
Watchable. Corridor walls turning into shiny orange almost-Netflix-logo, a teenager on a bike, 80s music hint at "Stranger Things" - I've never seen those though. This flick is reasonably scary, partly owing to perfectly surrounding sound effects, until the monster turns out to look like a home-scale Godzilla. A flesh-devouring monster feeding on negative emotions is such a horror cliche. The Indian culture set-up was promising but results in typical American supernatural scares and the culture is treated superficially with very few elements cherry-picked. The plot often fails to make sense, especially Russ's immediate death in the context of later information.
THE SACRIFICE GAME
Recommended. More of a slasher than a supernatural horror, even with a demon at the end - no monsters. The opening appears inspired by the murder on Sharon Tate: 1971, 3 men and 1 woman assault people in their houses, cut the woman's stomach. Other cultural references are "Funny Games", you also get a hotel in snow like in "The Shining". But the plot is unpredictable, you don't know till the end which way it'll turn. Jenn Wexler wrote and directed the movie. Georgia Acken as Clara is the most memorable. مينا مسعود (Mena Massoud) is the most frightening as diabolical Jude.
UWIERZ W MIKOLAJA (I BELIEVE IN SANTA)
Walked out. This 'comedy' is awfully sad and full of pathologies, poverty, alcoholism, profanities in the language, ludicrous behaviours, e.g. after hitting someone accidentally with an axe the woman punches him twice, trying to help him or something.
A FERD MED MOMMU (DRIVING MUM)
Watchable. This tragicomedy being black and white hurts the movie filled with Icelandic landscapes which normally look otherworldly in colour - here no chance was given. The story's engaging, it's a road movie, where reality mixes with dreams and visions. The dog was my favourite character, needlessly marred by the deadly accident in the middle of the film. The dog's responses to his owner are delightful. The story's certainly unusual but Jon amiable, you root for him to find freedom and joy. Funny where he finds his freedom in the end.
