Rowan Sullivan, Author at FilmRoot

236

Honeygiver Among the Dogs – How Society Creates a Witch

Honeygiver among the dogs Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

If you’re looking for a misty mystery built around the reputation of an attractive independent woman in Bhutan you’ve come to the right place. You’ll join a policeman sent to a small town in the mountains to uncover a murder mystery. The main suspect? A ‘flirtatious demoness’ who is said to possess magical powers. Honeygiver Among the Dogs promises dreams, eerie music, tranquil landscape, and a mystical plot which keeps you guessing.

From: Bhutan, Asia
Watch: Trailer, JustWatch
Trailer: White Sun, Spoor, Golden Kingdom

237

N!ai, the Story of a !Kung Woman Before and After Independence

N!ai Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Indigenous Batswana films aren’t easy to find, so if you know of any, please contact me here. In the meantime, check out N!ai, the Story of a !Kung Woman (the exclamation marks represent click sounds). It’s a documentary made by an American anthropologist, so it’s by no means a true Batswana film. However, you will get to see the impact of the white government on the independence of the !Kung people as portrayed through the life of a !Kung woman named N!ai.

From: Botswana, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Kanopy, Rent on Vimeo
Next: Another Country, Black Girl, Smoke Signals

238

Flame – Two Girls Fighting for Equality and Independence

Flame Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

You might have seen Saving Private Ryan or Apocalypse Now but how many female fronted war films have you seen? Flame follows two young women who leave their rural village to join the Zimbabwean fight for liberation. However, their fight isn’t just for an independent Zimbabwe free from colonial influence, but also a fight for female liberation from the abuse and subjugation of the patriarchy.

From: Zimbabwe, Africa
Watch: YouTube, Kanopy, Rent on Vimeo
Next: Lucia, War Witch, Battle of Algiers

239

The Bloodettes – A Stylish, Sexy, Futuristic, Vampire Film from Cameroon

The Bloodettes Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Whilst the plot of The Bloodettes may be loose and confusing, it’s something new, sexy and stylish. Neon night club lighting, as well as masses of jump cuts, dissolve cuts, and slow motion shots (that would make John Woo proud), all backed by an energetic Tsotsi-esque soundtrack makes this one of the most original films I’ve seen from Africa. This is Cameroon in 2025.

From: Cameroon, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Kanopy
Next: The Killer, Tsotsi, Pumzi

240

Sweet Sixteen – One Teenager’s Quest to Find his Lost Childhood

Sweet Sixteen Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

What were you doing on your sixteenth birthday? Hopefully something better than Liam. Sweet Sixteen came out three years before MTV’s My Super Sweet Sixteen and shows a semi-orphaned teenager waiting for his mum to get released from prison. It’s another brilliantly bleak depiction of working class youth in the U.K. from Ken Loach and a perfect reality check to the super rich spoiled kids which took over MTV screens a few years later.

From: U.K., Europe
Watch: Trailer, Tubi, Amazon Prime
Next: Trainspotting, Girlhood, This is England

Read the Full Review