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191

Unknown Land (Yemen) – Dreaming on the Island of Socotra

Unknown Land Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

How much do you know about the Arab Spring in Yemen? If you followed the news, chances are you probably know more as the residents of Socotra. That’s because this alien looking island is approx. 380km from the Yemeni mainland and therefore untouched by the mainland’s politics. Unknown Land is a portrait of life on the island and the wandering thoughts of a half dead sailor, marooned on the island following a shipwreck.

Why Watch Unknown Land?
  • To see the uniquely beautiful landscape of the island of Socotra
  • If you like listening to dreamy narratives
  • For it’s musical interludes
  • To feel truly isolated from the rest of the world
The Breakdown

At the start of Unknown Land a man is washed onto one of the pristine beaches of island of Socotra. It appears that all of his energy was sucked out of him as he struggled to stay afloat after his shipwreck. All he can do is reflect on his past life and make peace with his past choices as he approaches death.

Meanwhile in one of the town’s of Socotra, a old man listens to an old radio as he smokes from a pipe fashioned from a goat horn. The radio gives us our only connection to the outside world. We hear that a sailing boat has sunk off of the shores of Socotra and all of the crew have gone missing. We also hear about the Yemeni protests on the mainland, but the old man’s indifference shows that these are insignificant to the inhabitants of Socotra. The island is too far away to be affected by what happens on the mainland.

The island’s isolation is reflected in the serene footage of Socotra. Firstly, the alien plants and landscape are unlike anything you’ve seen before. There are trees which look like spindly umbrellas, and mountains that disappear into pristine white beaches and emerald coloured sea. Secondly, the islands inhabitants rarely get any dialogue on screen, so you never get to connect with them. This is particularly noticeable with the old man who reappears throughout the film smoking from the same goat horn with a blank stare. The director deliberately emphasises the alien setting and distant people to make the island appear even more remote and dreamy.

Conclusion and What to Watch Next

If you’re into dreamy narratives and alien landscapes, then check out Unknown Land. However, if you’re more of an action thriller fan, it’s best you check out some film difficulty level 2 or 3 films before you watch this.

For another dreamy film from the Middle East, check out Ahlaam (literally translated as dream) from Iraq. It follows a few Iraqis before and after the Iraq War. Otherwise, if you’re looking for something surreal from the Middle East, check out The Challenge. It’s your chance to live the life of the richest Sheikhs in Qatar.

Or if you’re simply looking for easy to watch films from the Middle East, check out some of the following (they’re all great):

  • Wadjda: A Saudi Arabian coming of age tale featuring an awesome little girl
  • About Elly: A slow-burning thriller from Iran (although not the film to watch before you go on a big family holiday)
  • Silvered Water: A portrait of war-time Syria, a great documentary constructed from first-hand footage to experience the horrors of the Syrian conflict.

 

192

Guiana 1838 (Guyana) – Slavery Wasn’t Abolished in 1833

Guiana 1838 Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1833, but was it enforced? In Guiana 1835 you’ll see that slavery was replaced with another form of slavery: indentured servitude. If it’s available you can find the film here on Amazon or here on YouTube (with audio errors).

Why Watch Guiana 1838?
  • Learn about slavery and indentured servitude in Guyana – the educational video style interruptions in the opening 30 minutes of Guiana 1838 will give you a quick understanding!
  • See what happened to freed slaves in Guyana
  • Witness the whole process of the Indian indenture system
  • If you think the British Empire is something to be proud of
The Breakdown

Guiana 1838 starts with 2 white men on horses patrolling a sugar cane plantation full of black workers. He singles out one of the workers for questioning. When he doesn’t get a response, he takes the black worker to the whipping pole.

At this point, the film jumps to one of a handful of educational-video style interruptions to teach you about the start of the slave trade. In a few minutes, it gives you a brief low-down on how it started, why it started, and a few of the figures calling for abolition.

Then, jumping back to the dramatisation, one of the younger slaves overhears a man from Britain telling the slave owner that slavery has been abolished. She runs back to her family to tell them the good news.

Again, the film jumps back to an educational slide-show to show you the slave owners solution: indentured servitude. This was a system which lasted until 1917 in which people from across the British Empire (and further afield) were contracted or tricked into cheap labour. Guiana 1838 follows a group of Indians that were ‘contracted’ to work in Guyana (effectively tricked into slave labour).

Conclusion and What to Watch Next

If you don’t know what indentured servitude is or you don’t know much about the Atlantic slave trade, you should watch Guiana 1838. It’s educational style may remind you of the historical enactment videos you watched at school so expect to learn a lot.

Even though slavery has shaped the world perhaps more than any other event, there haven’t been that many films to document it, especially compared to the excess of Hollywood westerns. That being said, here are some films you must see:

  • 12 Years a Slave: the 2014 Best Picture Winner from Steve McQueen that doesn’t shy away from the reality of slavery
  • Sankofa: A Burkinabe film which provides a perspective of Maafa (the African Holocaust) that Hollywood rarely gets close to
  • Roots: The original iconic TV series based on Alex Haley’s novel featuring Kunta Kinte
  • Django Unchained: Yes, Tarantino’s film follows the ‘white saviour’ narrative and can be seen as insensitive, but where else can you see a film in which an ex-slave gets revenge on his white slave masters??
193

Waar (Pakistan) – The Pakistani Answer to The Expendables

Waar Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

If you love melodramatic action movies with loads of clichéd characters, you’ve got to watch Waar. It’s the Pakistani answer to the narco-peliculas (genre drug war films) of Mexico. Instead of drug cartels and undercover cops trying to assassinate the head capos you’ll see special forces trying to stop terrorists. Check it out here on Netflix if cheesy one liners are your thing!

Image result for waar

Why Watch Waar?
  • You love cheesy action movies such as The Expendables or Rambo: First Blood Part 2 with loads of hilarious one-liners
  • It’s ready for you to watch on Netflix
  • If you want to see a Pakistani film
  • For the melodrama – it’s on a par with the home-made drug cartel film you’ll find all across Mexico
The Breakdown

The good thing about Waar is that you know exactly what kind of film it is going to be from the opening minutes.

The film starts in a dimly lit interrogation room. One man smoking a cigarette sits opposite two men handcuffed to their chairs – it’s obvious who’s interrogating who. Then one of the prisoners says “we are not afraid of dying”. The interrogator responds by grabbing the speakers hand and firing a bullet into the back of it.

The interrogator is not there to mess around, and with this opening Waar:

  1. Grabs our attention
  2. Sets the scene for an action driven genre film

What else makes this film cheesy? Other than the one-liners, one-dimensional antagonist, and clichéd characters? Answer: the music. You’ll notice it when we are introduced to this ex-special forces agent who is accompanied by wailing singing as he arrives at the graves of his dead wife and son. You’ll also notice it when heavy metal music starts playing in the action films. Is the music necessary? No. But it does add to it’s cheesy action film credentials, a lot like the narco corridos (drug songs) that randomly interrupt the Mexican drug-genre films.

Conclusion and What to Watch Next

Unless you’re a big cult/genre action film fan or you love watching serious action movies for laughs, you might find Waar a bit too melodramatic.

If you’re looking for an action film with a better narrative and a bit less cheese I’d recommend checking out Drug War from China and Elite Squad from Brazil. Both are action films like Waar, but they both exclude the irrationally evil villain and melodrama.

Or if you love cheesy action films, go check out Rambo: First Blood, Predator, Die Hard, or most things with Sylvester Stallone, JCVD, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Jason Statham.

Please also send all you’re Pakistani film recommendations to rowan@filmroot.com

 

194

Steppe Man – A Modern Woman Follows a Camel Herdsman

Steppe Man

Steppe Man Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Unfortunately Steppe Man isn’t one of the best films you are going to see. It’s a bit predictable in parts and seems ignorantly sexist. However, if you like camels and myth, or if you’re trying to complete a film tour of the Caucasus and need to tick of Azerbaijan, give it a watch. Step (no pun intended) into the world of the Steppe Man.

From: Azerbaijan, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Vimeo
Next: Australia, Tarzan, Timbuktu
Read The Full Review
195

Onye Ozi – A Nollywood Comedy Based in London

Arriving in London

Onye Ozi Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

This Nigerian film won awards at Nollywood for its celebration of the Igbo Language. Although I thought it was a bit too much like a cheesy telenovela, it has inspired me to search for Nigeria’s best films. 

From: Nigeria, Africa
Watch: Trailer, IMDb
Next: Akasha, October 1, I Am Not A Witch
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