Rowan Sullivan, Author at FilmRoot

281

Uncertain Future – Political Unrest in Burundi

Image result for uncertain future munyaneza

Uncertain Future Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Uncertain Future gives you a rare look into the small country at the heart of Africa: Burundi. It takes place in 2015 when President Nkurunziza seeks to rule for a third term against the wishes of a lot of the citizens of Bujumbura (the capital). Get a first hand look at the protests and violence in Eddy Munyaneza’s brave documentary.

From: Burundi, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Amazon (Rent), Vimeo (Rent)
Next: Winter on Fire, The Square, Rosewater

282

Boxing Libreville – Boxing for Freedom in Gabon

Boxing Libreville Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

If you’re a boxing fan or simply a regular gym rat, you’ll be able to sympathise with Christ in Boxing Libreville. He’s a boxer who trains all day and works all night to try to become the best boxer in Gabon as the hope of a new political future builds in the background.

From:  Gabon, Africa
Watch: Trailer
Next: Makala, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki, Fruitvale Station

283

Crystal Swan – The American Dream in Belarus

Crystal Swan Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

In Crystal Swan you’ll meet Velya, an aspiring club DJ living in Minsk who doesn’t fit in Belarus. So she tries to get a U.S. visa to go live a better life abroad. The only problem is that she doesn’t have a respectable job to put on her visa application. So she puts down a fake job and adds a fake telephone number. However, when the visa officials say they will call her to confirm her application, she goes on a journey to rural Belarus to track down the number and try and make her American dream come true.

From: Belarus, Europe
Watch: Trailer
Next: Ladybird, Volver, Run Lola Run

284

House of My Fathers – Civil War Trauma in Sri Lanka

House of My Fathers Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

If you’re looking for a heart warming Sri Lankan film with widescreen shots of the beautiful Sri Lankan landscape, you’ve come to the wrong place. House of My Fathers deliberately uses a narrower screen (as you’ll see in the trailer) to focus your eye on the trauma from the Sri Lankan civil war. You’ll meet one man and one woman,one Sinhala and the other Tamil, who are sent to an island together to find peace for the two communities. It’s a contemporary myth/fable full of dreams and visions.

From: Sri Lanka, Asia
Watch: Trailer
Next: Ahlaam, Sleepwalking Land, Tanna

285

The Load – A Road Trip Through Serbia’s Wasteland

The Load Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

If you’re looking for a fun road movie like Thelma and Louise or Y Tu Mama Tambien, you’ve come to the wrong place. The Load is a brutal depiction of a country traumatised by war – it’s not a place where humour exists. There are no bright colours and no sweeping landscape shots. No one really knows what they’re doing, and there aren’t any dreams.

From: Serbia, Europe
Watch: Trailer
Next: Shok, The Trader, Mardan