most of my favorite African films are pretty serious so the comedy here was a welcome change of pace even though the story does have its fair share of serious moments.
just like any other foreign film, i love how it opens a window to a different culture. in this case, one that isn't often discussed or represented in popular media. and like most other African films it deals with familiar topics such as colonialism and capitalism. i admire films that can confront such issues without having to portray the "oppressors". it's not necessarily good or bad, but it is something i appreciate. the focus is on the African people and the film doesn't need an "evil white man" character in the story to get its message across. even now, generations later, people in third-world countries still feel the effects of colonialism and the world economy. i like that the story doesn't stray away from the people that it is about and explores how their behaviour has also adapted to new systems. their society is held together by community and trust that is rapidly fading.
and because of how tight the focus of this film is, it ends up feeling so immersive and (obviously) authentic. i love the technical qualities of this film. the images presented here are so vibrant and the way they move is sublime (shoutout criterion). but again, what really stands out is not just the beauty but also the fact that i have never been exposed to this particular slice of African culture. so to me, all of it feels wholly unique. just look at all the outfits in this film. when have you ever seen drip like this?
i've watched a solid amount of African films before but none of them captured the same vibe as this one.
and even beyond the obvious moral and political themes, there is more to dig into. you know how Kafka's stories were so dark and sad but how he used to laugh while reading them to his friends? man had a fucked up sense of humor and that's a big reason why he is one of my favorite authors. this film also seems to have a bit of that Kafkaesque quality to it, or maybe i just automatically think of Kafka whenever the topic of bureaucracy comes up idk.
and lastly, although it's not really explored very deeply, the film does portray the extent to which African society is dominated by the patriarchy and how sexism almost feels ingrained into the culture. it is a problem that still plagues the world today. and time has shown that this problem has very little to do with how "advanced" a society is. some of the most developed countries in the world are also some of the most misogynistic (South Korean women have a lot of horror stories to tell). and social media seems to propagate these ideas at an alarming rate. too many incels in instagram comment sections these days.
most of my favorite African films are pretty serious so the comedy here was a welcome change of pace even though the story does have its fair share of serious moments.
just like any other foreign film, i love how it opens a window to a different culture. in this case, one that isn't often discussed or represented in popular media. and like most other African films it deals with familiar topics such as colonialism and capitalism. i admire films that can confront such issues without having to portray the "oppressors". it's not necessarily good or bad, but it is something i appreciate. the focus is on the African people and the film doesn't need an "evil white man" character in the story to get its message across. even now, generations later, people in third-world countries still feel the effects of colonialism and the world economy. i like that the story doesn't stray away from the people that it is about and explores how their behaviour has also adapted to new systems. their society is held together by community and trust that is rapidly fading.
and because of how tight the focus of this film is, it ends up feeling so immersive and (obviously) authentic. i love the technical qualities of this film. the images presented here are so vibrant and the way they move is sublime (shoutout criterion). but again, what really stands out is not just the beauty but also the fact that i have never been exposed to this particular slice of African culture. so to me, all of it feels wholly unique. just look at all the outfits in this film. when have you ever seen drip like this?
i've watched a solid amount of African films before but none of them captured the same vibe as this one.
and even beyond the obvious moral and political themes, there is more to dig into. you know how Kafka's stories were so dark and sad but how he used to laugh while reading them to his friends? man had a fucked up sense of humor and that's a big reason why he is one of my favorite authors. this film also seems to have a bit of that Kafkaesque quality to it, or maybe i just automatically think of Kafka whenever the topic of bureaucracy comes up idk.
and lastly, although it's not really explored very deeply, the film does portray the extent to which African society is dominated by the patriarchy and how sexism almost feels ingrained into the culture. it is a problem that still plagues the world today. and time has shown that this problem has very little to do with how "advanced" a society is. some of the most developed countries in the world are also some of the most misogynistic (South Korean women have a lot of horror stories to tell). and social media seems to propagate these ideas at an alarming rate. too many incels in instagram comment sections these days.
