A good movie

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was included in the list ‘They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They?’, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, first of all, watching a movie taking place in Africa, really focusing on the people living there and not some white character, was just so refreshing. It also reminded me of the trip I made this year in Cameroon. Even though Senegal is not really nearby, both countries seem similar. Anyway, travelling to such African countries is such an intense experience. Indeed, it does feel similar to Western countries as the people living there try really hard to replicate our (in my opinion rather decadent) lifestyle and, yet, it also feels like a completely different world. Above all, there is this oppressive feeling that life there is so much harder, like no matter how hard you might work, the opportunities for a better future are slim at best. This was perfectly reflected in this movie, right from the start. Indeed, you get to see this group of capable young men, ready to work for hours and days to support not only themselves but very often their whole families and, yet, they didn’t get paid for months. What you didn’t see in this movie is that, even though this job was obviously worthless, it was probably one of the very few opportunities these young men got. So, unsurprisingly, they decided to leave on a boat to go to Europe. It is something many (most?) people living in Europe will never understand, the fact that these men would prefer either to die during this trip (which was apparently what happened in this movie) or to be treated like garbage for the rest of their lives if they ever manage to reach their destination, then stay in their homeland which they actually love because there is absolutely no hope and future there. The reality of Ada, the main character, was not much better. Sure, she loved Souleiman and he probably loved her as well but both of them didn’t have a job, no money either, so they didn’t have much prospects. It was also rather heartbreaking how Souleiman left her without saying goodbye but I understand why. Many would blame Ada for getting in an arranged marriage with Omar but what choice did she really have? So, it was all some really topical and fascinating stuff but Mati Diop with her directorial debut didn’t stop here and I also added some fantastical elements which strikingly reminded me of ‘Weapons’ which was released more than 5 years later. It was an intriguing touch but I’m not sure if it was really necessary though and focusing on the harsh reality faced by these characters might have been more than sufficient. Visually, it was also pretty neat with a great mood but, to be honest, the acting was usually pretty weak though. Anyway, to conclude, it was a really solid directorial debut and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you want to see something slightly different. 

7/10