Film Difficulty 2

To help you ease your way into our world, we have devised a the film difficulty ranking system to rate the difficulty of each film reviewed on our site. The easiest to watch films (the Rom-Coms and Superhero flicks that you watch anyway) will have a rating of 1. Foreign language films automatically add one point, as do black and white films, and films with strange and hard to follow plots. Welcome to Film Difficulty 2.

Film Difficulty Ranking 2: These films are perfect introductions to those new to foreign films. These one’s may have subtitles, or be in black and white, but these films are all easy to follow and enjoy.

For the next step, check out Film Difficulty Ranking 3.

Coming From Insanity – Pan African Film Festival 2020

In Coming from Insanity a poor Togolese house boy becomes a rich counterfeiter in Nigeria. It’s a well-made rags to riches heist thriller that will keep you engaged throughout.

The film starts with Kossi being trafficked across the Nigerian border from Togo in the 1990’s. He’s only 12 when he arrives, but he’s already forced to work as a house boy for an upper-middle class family living in Lagos. Fast forward to the present day and Kossi is still stuck in the same position; slaving away for the well-off family he grew up working for. They don’t care about his dreams, and without an education he’s unlikely to reach them. As far as they’re aware, he’ll always be beneath them.

Fed up with being downtrodden, Kossi resorts to crime. He uses his inventiveness to start counterfeiting dollars and soon becomes the best counterfeiter in Lagos. He slowly scales up his operations like Breaking Bad, employing a cast of people like him to help run his business. However, with a larger operation Kossi picks up the unwanted attention of a determined police agent, sparking a Catch Me If You Can style chase which thrillingly carries this film to the end.

If anything, Coming from Insanity is a testament the production quality of Nollywood. Compared to many of the lower budget productions that featured at the Pan African Film Festival, Coming from Insanity feels like a tent-pole Hollywood film. It stands out because of the following:

It features a cast of established names that have all gained acting experience from previous Nollywood productions instead of an amateur cast.
It has a substantial production budget allowing the crew to effectively film a diverse range of challenging scenes taking place in a very busy city (Lagos), as well as at sea and on the road.
As well as a lot of time spent in post-production that:
- Evened out the sound levels throughout the film.
- Matched the images on screen to a soundtrack with the same tone.
- Edited the shots together to efficiently tell a story without losing the attention of the viewer.

These are all things that we take for granted when watching films from countries with established film industries, such as the U.S, India, and Nigeria. They have the backing of an industry with the capabilities and experience needed for film-makers to make a great looking film, something that other African countries simply don’t have. That’s why Coming from Insanity feels so much more polished than films like Gonarezhou: The Movie and My Village. It has the backing of an industry with the capabilities and experience to make a great film.

That being said, industry backing isn’t everything, as we’ve seen from a number of big budget Hollywood flops in the last few years. Luckily, Coming from Insanity isn’t one of those, it’s polished look only helps it’s tight script to succeed.

Head to our Pan African Film Festival Hub for more reviews from PAFF 2020.

Big Fish and Begonia – China’s Answer to Studio Ghibli?

Big Fish and Begonia Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

When a film is described as a combination of Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away you should pay attention. Visually Big Fish and Begonia deserves the recognition. It is China’s biggest animation of all time and definitely matches the scope of the biggest animation films from around the world. If you’re a fan of the art of animation, this is for you – just don’t pay too much attention to the storyline!

Why Watch Big Fish & Begonia?

You’re a big fan of animation and the fantasy worlds it can create
To see China’s biggest animation ever!
You like the films of Studio Ghibli (see Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away) and Disney (The Little Mermaid)
For some strong allegories of the perils of global warming

The Breakdown

We don’t care about the important questions any more. This is how a narrator opens Big Fish and Begonia. We sleep, we commute, we work, we eat, we sleep, and before long, we die.

Unfortunately, the dreamy philosophical musings didn’t last long. Or at least, they got lost in the confusing story-line. Instead, you should focus on the incredible visuals and appreciate the sheer scope of the animation. It also matches the scope of the great Studio Ghibli and dominant Disney.

You’ll also notice the very strong allegories to the importance of mother nature and the threats of global warming (there’s human trees and great floods). In fact, with no evil villain, the imagery of global warming is the main threat to the human characters. Global warming and nature have been themes of many of Disney and Studio Ghibli’s films. s this a first in Chinese animation?

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Conclusion

You’ll see the strange creatures and beautiful landscapes you expect to find in Studio Ghibli films. You’ll also see the magical animals you often see in the Disney classics. However, unfortunately the story-line doesn’t match the beautiful visuals.

If you’re a fan of the art of animation you’ll appreciate this film but if you’re all about the storytelling you may find this hard to watch.

The Pearl of Africa (Uganda) – A Documentary of Illegal Love

The Pearl of Africa Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

If you think it’s easy being yourself, you should watch The Pearl of Africa. You’ll meet Cleo, a transgender woman, struggling for acceptance within an country where it’s illegal for her to be herself. In fact, for ‘aggravated homosexuality’ she could be executed. Find out how she manages to live by watching this documentary on Netflix.

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Why Watch The Pearl of Africa?

To find out how hard it is for some people to be themselves
Meet the LGBT movement in Uganda, fighting for human rights
Learn a bit about the sex reassignment surgery process
Meet one of the most supportive partners there is

The Breakdown

We first meet Cleo lying half conscious on a hospital bed. It’s not clear what has happened. However, the stop motion animations of one figure punching another figure in high heels leads us to assume that she has been abused.

Uganda is a country with so much diversity, but there still lingers so much prejudice. Whilst different languages and religions coexist, homosexuality has been outlawed. Cleo and her boyfriend would get life imprisonment for a single homosexual act, and would face execution for ‘aggravated homosexuality.’ Simply put, it’s illegal for them to exist.

The director intentionally alternates between the news footage of angry protestors protesting against homosexuality and the serene relationship between Cleo and Nelson. On the one hand you have people protesting a sexual orientation they think is not normal. Then on the other hand you have Cleo and Nelson, a happy couple in love. Juxtaposing the two scenes makes the protestors position appear even more absurd as it shows they are directly protesting against happiness and love.

Conclusion & What to Watch Next

The Pearl of Africa shows you just how hard it is for some people to be themselves. Cleo is forced to leave the country to simply be the person she is. However, this is also a documentary of the strength of love. You’ll see how Cleo and Nelson struggle together to overcome their illegality.

To watch more check out God Loves Uganda which explores the role of American religious extremists in establishing anti-homosexuality in Uganda.

If you want to watch more African film which highlight social issues check out the fun Africa United, Beauty and the Dogs, and Black Girl. All are great film.

Sepet – A Rom Com that Exposes Class and Race Dynamics in Malaysia

Sepet Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

If you like rom-coms you’ll love Sepet. But even if you don’t there is much more to this film then a cheesy romance. Sepet exposes the class and race dynamics of Malaysia of a society that evidently still hasn’t recovered from the effects of colonialism.

Why Watch Sepet?

It’s a chick flick with substance
You’ll learn a bit about the legacy of colonialism on Malaysia
Watch it here on YouTube
Learn about social and racial discrimination in Malaysia

The Breakdown

The romance between Jason and Orked starts after a chance encounter at Jason’s VHS stall on a busy Malay street. However, they are both from opposite ends of Malay society, Jason (or Ah-loong) is ethnically Chinese whilst Orked is ethnically Malay. As you’ll learn, this is a problem. Chinese-Malays are seen as inferior to ethnic Malays and therefore relationships between Malays and Chinese is taboo.

In case that isn’t enough to emulate Romeo and Juliet, Jason also has a much lower social standing than Orked. You might notice this from seeing each of their respective houses. Orked walks around in a big bedroom with big closets, walks up and down stairs to show that her house has two floors, and has a maid. In contrast, Jason’s house appears open to the elements with concrete floors. His family all crowd around a small table for dinner.

However, what does Jason do to help his chances of getting with Orked? He tells her his name is Jason, a ‘nice name from London.’By associating himself with Britain, he associates himself with the old rulers: British colonists. Orked doesn’t fall for this trick. She later brings up the issue of colonialism with her friend and references French colonists in Algeria. They instituted a belief that whites were superior and that the darker you were, the more inferior you were. It’s obvious that Malaysia has shared this colonial legacy the way the lighter skinned Malays treat the ‘slit-eyed’ Chinese.

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Conclusion

Sepet is a great example of a chick flick that has layers. Behind the cheesy romance is a country still dealing with the legacy of colonialism. Jason and Orked are two sweet teens trying to navigate the race and social boundaries of Malaysia.

Will they stay together? Watch it here on YouTube (although some sound is missing).

Anina (Uruguay) – A Whimsical Animation With A Unique School Punishment

Anina Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Do you miss the animations and story books you used to read as a kid? Anina will bring back your childhood with whimsical animation and a heart-warming story. If you have young ones or you’re young at heart, this one’s for you.

Why Watch Anina?

For anyone with kids, or your young at heart
To see it’s unique style which may remind you of a storybook
To hear the ‘worst names’ from Uruguay (Anina hates her name which is read the same forwards and backwards)
It’s here on YouTube (if you can understand Spanish)

The Breakdown

Anina starts at the end of a school day. Some parents are crowding round the entrance of the school waiting for their kids under their umbrellas. Some of the other kids are waiting at a bus stop nearby. It’s obvious who the protagonist is as she’s the only one with hair that stands out against the palette of grey, beige, and brown. Her hair is red and sticks out from her head. She’s Anina, our 10 year old protagonist.

You’ll notice the look of this animation is different to the Disney and Pixar films you’ve become used to. Firstly it’s 2D rather than the 3D used in most modern animation. Secondly, it’s uses a flat colour palette with no vibrant colours. As a result, Anina looks more like a children’s storybook rather than a vibrant Pixar film. This made it feel more whimsical and endearing.

One of my favourite stylistic moments occurs when she has a childhood memory. In the memory, the animation becomes even more basic than in the present: her facial expressions are less detailed and the background is plainer. It reflects the memories we all have, in which the detail is eroded by time.

Image result for anina

Conclusion

Like the best family films, Anina combines humour with a beautiful message about the family and friends. In addition, it’s unique animation evokes a nostalgia for children’s storybooks. If you’ve got young kids, or you still feel like a kid inside, Anina is worth a watch.

For more whimsical animation check out Song of the Sea by Tomm Moore. Also, no matter what age you are, watch Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki.