I saw this film at the Dubai Film Festival following the hype of its win of the World Dramatic Grand Prize at Sundance festival. It was not a bad film but how can one award it a Grand Prize--unless, of course, its competition was even worse. Sundance needs to re-evaluate its basic standards.
The plus points of the film: 1. The subject of land-mines is real and immediate danger around the world. 2. The first major feature film from Angola. 3. A debut film from an Angolan filmmaker--with the sufficient assistance of Portugal and France, with no film industry support from Angola. 4. Few know that Angola has survived 20 years of civil strife and a generation has spent a major life span being associated with it.
The negative points: 1. The film-making quality is at best average (even for African standards). There are better films coming out of Africa in the past two years--Sembene's "Moolade" (Senegal), Mohamad Asli's "In Casablanca, elephants can fly" (another debut, from Morocco), and Mark Dornford-May's "U-Carmen eKhayelitsha" (another debut, from South Africa). 2. The opening aerial shot is much raved about--Wim Wender's did it better in the "Million Dollar Hotel" 3. The plot meanders from the child seeking lost father (this could have been developed further)to the adult seeking familial sustenance and the interplay with lovers. 4. Luanda's urban water shortage is inferred to but never developed further.
Oumar Diop, the lead player, has an arresting on-screen presence compared to real life (I met him in Dubai) but is too wooden to be called an actor of consequence.
Many films are getting prizes at festivals that could eventually devalue the festivals themselves.
The plus points of the film: 1. The subject of land-mines is real and immediate danger around the world. 2. The first major feature film from Angola. 3. A debut film from an Angolan filmmaker--with the sufficient assistance of Portugal and France, with no film industry support from Angola. 4. Few know that Angola has survived 20 years of civil strife and a generation has spent a major life span being associated with it.
The negative points: 1. The film-making quality is at best average (even for African standards). There are better films coming out of Africa in the past two years--Sembene's "Moolade" (Senegal), Mohamad Asli's "In Casablanca, elephants can fly" (another debut, from Morocco), and Mark Dornford-May's "U-Carmen eKhayelitsha" (another debut, from South Africa). 2. The opening aerial shot is much raved about--Wim Wender's did it better in the "Million Dollar Hotel" 3. The plot meanders from the child seeking lost father (this could have been developed further)to the adult seeking familial sustenance and the interplay with lovers. 4. Luanda's urban water shortage is inferred to but never developed further.
Oumar Diop, the lead player, has an arresting on-screen presence compared to real life (I met him in Dubai) but is too wooden to be called an actor of consequence.
Many films are getting prizes at festivals that could eventually devalue the festivals themselves.