Djon Africa Film Difficulty Ranking: 3
You might have a vision about a particular place you’ve never visited, but you have to go there to really see what it is like. In Djon Africa, Miguel dreams of meeting his father from Cape Verde, so he decides to seek him out by going there. His fantasies of a place covered with beautiful women and parties are tested by reality.
From: Cape Verde, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Watch on Amazon
Next: Wan Pipel, Wallay, Song of the Sea
Why Watch Djon Africa?
- Experience life in Cape Verde – the reality and the fantasy.
- For the magic of grogue (the national alcoholic drink of Cape Verde).
- Meet a crazy, endearing, self proclaimed ‘dangerous’ granny who takes Miguel under her wing.
- Witness the incredible scenery of Cape Verde, from the pristine beaches to the epic craggy mountains.
The Breakdown
Straight away, the director forces us to judge Miguel. He draws attention to his strange haircut, and then places him in a shopping mall where his friend has taken him to try stealing some clothes. Miguel is frisked when he tries to leave with one of the jackets on. It wasn’t a good attempt at stealing. But his friend manages to get out with a collection of clothes. Is he just a small time crook?
It’s only after we’ve started building our opinion of him that the director delves into his personal life. He lives in a flat in a massive block of flats on the outskirts of a Portuguese city with his Grandma. The building looks like concrete slabs protruding from nowhere. It doesn’t look like an appealing place to live.
We also learn that he has never met his father, who ran away from him as a kid. Despite this, Miguel has always wanted to meet him and even tried to meet him whilst he was in jail, only to be rejected.
However, he found out that his father was deported back to Cape Verde, so he buys a ticket to Cape Verde with the small amount of money he has made from construction work. It’s his chance to explore his roots and try and find his father.
The Power of Grogue/Dreams
Miguel’s vision of Cape Verde is often just fantasy. This is shown through his grogue hallucinations (grogue appears to be the national drink of the islands) and the reality he wakes up to.
For example, on his way into the country to find his father he comes across 3 attractive girls. They end up inviting him to a party, and one of them ends up taking him back to a hotel room. It’s everything he wanted Cape Verde to be: attractive girls, party, and drinks. But his fantasy is quickly dispelled when he wakes up next to three kids and an unknown mother and all his money has been taken. This is the reality he tries to ignore to fulfill his fantasy of Cape Verde. Just as he refuses to face the fact that his Dad has run away from him and doesn’t want to see him. His trip to Cape Verde is his awakening.
What to Watch Next
For more films in which the main character tries seeking out his cultural roots, check out:
- Wan Pipel – A man living in the Netherlands returns to Suriname for a funeral and rediscovers his heritage.
- Wallay– a troublesome kid brought up in Paris is taken to work for his father’s family in Burkina Faso to pay for his crimes.
- Song of the Sea – two kids who lost their mother get taken to their strict grandmother to be looked after. They invoke the Irish myths to get back to their Dad.
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