drama

41

Girlhood – A New-Wave of French Film?

Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

More in line with the likes of Adulthood than Boyhood, Girlhood is an artistic dive into the black working class blocks of Paris. Marieme is our heroine/anti-heroine, a black female who is forced to make a life for herself after she is denied high-school education. Can she weave her way through all the obstacles thrown her way? Or is she confined by her identity and social standing?

Why Watch Girlhood?
  • To see Paris as you probably haven’t seen it before – where concrete towers replace the Eiffel tower.
  • You’re a fan of coming-of-age films
  • Witness the potential of GIRL POWER
  • Check out some beautifully coloured cinematography
The Breakdown

An heavy techno beat breathes life into the darkness of the opening credits. Floodlights break up the darkness as a group of American football players run out of a dimly lit tunnel onto the pitch. One of the girls scores a touchdown and everyone starts celebrating and singing, before the lights shut off and darkness is back. The opening briefly shows us the power of girl groups and also marks the first screen-wipe of darkness.

Pay attention when the director black-washes the screen as each time marks a key point in Marieme’s adolescence. Each time is like the ending and beginning of a new chapter. Each time also follows either a happy or sad moment that defines Marieme. I’d also recommend paying attention to the soundtrack, as the director chooses particular moments for when the songs are played. For example, Marieme and her friends sing along to Rihanna’s ‘Diamonds’ at a time when their happiness and freedom is high. At this moment, the song emphasises their happiness and camaraderie.

Whilst the screen-wipes and songs signify key moments of the film, I am not sure what the role of the colours are. Nevertheless, the colours are beautiful. From the pale blue and pink hues of Marieme’s bedroom walls, lit up by a dim lamp to the slightly washed out colours of daylight in the concrete jungle. The vivid dark blue and black hues of the hotel-room party strongly reminded me of the beautiful cinematography of Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight. See the beautiful colours for yourself and leave a comment if you think you know what they signify.

Conclusion

Girlhood is an important film. The director’s goal was to capture the stories of black teenagers, characters that are mostly underdeveloped in French films. In addition to race, this film is important because it also challenges conceptions of gender and class. All three; gender, class, and race (in that order?) come together to put obstacles in Marieme’s way. Can she escape?

 

 

 

 

42

Lucia (Cuba) – This 1960s Film is Stylish and Progressive

Lucia Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

How well do you know your Cuban history? Lucia charts the evolution of revolutionary consciousness in Cuba from Spanish Imperialism until after the Cuban revolution through the stories of three women named Lucia (living in 1896, 1932, and 1960 respectively). Who’d thought a Cuban film made in the 1960s would be more progressive than most of the Hollywood films of today because of it’s political consciousness and female protagonists.

Image result for lucia 1968

Why Should You Watch Lucia?
  • To experience life in Cuba before and after the revolution
  • If you like period films you’ll love the first two parts
  • For some chaotic battle scenes
  • To see how to add emotion to film scenes
The Breakdown

Part one. It’s 1895. Lucia, a lady from the upper class, gossips with her friends about another lady who has just returned from Paris with a rich, chubby husband before they all head into church. She catches the eye of a trader whilst in church, and they both exchange smiles. This is romance of the 1890s.

As part one progresses, you gradually see more and more of the demise of Spanish imperialism. Firstly, from the horrific story of Fernandina; a former nun that crazily roams the streets after being raped. Secondly from the doomed love affair of Lucia. And, lastly from the chaotic battles that take place at the end of the segment. The chaos which ends part one is a long way from the playful gossip that starts the film.

You’ll also notice how Humberto Solas adds loads of emotion to his film. For example, in Fernandina’s rape scene, he quickly cuts between different angles preventing us from focusing on one view point which disrupts our viewing flow.  To add to the effect, he uses a hand-held camera. The combination of the quick cutting and the hand-held camera make us feel Fernandina’s confusion and horror as all these soldiers are frantically chasing her. If you’ve seen Sergei Eisenstein’s famous Battleship Potemkin, you’ll recognise this chaotic montage.

Conclusion

Lucia is stylish and progressive. It mixes quick cutting montages and hand-held cameras into it’s three parts which all feature women. For a film that charts the evolution of the revolutionary consciousness in Cuba from Spanish Imperialism to after the Cuban revolution, check out Lucia!

Click on the poster on the left to buy on Amazon!

43

La Soledad (Venezuela) – Witness the Decay of a Country

La Soledad

La Soledad Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Do you know much about the current economic situation in Venezuela? If you don’t, and you’re into great art-house film, La Soledad is for you. You’ll see an enchanting old house, which at times reminded me of King Louie’s temple in Jungle Book, decaying as nature slowly reclaims it. You’ll also meet Rosina and her grandson Jose who are struggling to get by. If you’ve got 2 hours spare, soak in this film! 

From: Venezuela, South America
Watch: Trailer, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: It's All Good, Hermano, This is Not a Film
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44

Tsotsi

Tsotsi Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Are you here for an introduction to the slums of South Africa? Well Tsotsi is a great place to start as the film is easy-to-watch, entertaining, and emotional (all the criteria for a fantastic Hollywood film). It is also a great pairing for City of God – a Brazilian great with more good music and great editing!

Why Watch Tsotsi?
  • To hear some great South African tunes
  • As it’s THE Foreign Language Academy Award winner from 2005
  • To see a little bit of Johannesberg
  • To get under the skin of a baby-faced thug (Tsotsi is slang for thug)
The Breakdown

Two guys are playing craps in a cluttered slum house. One of them rolls a four and a five and the players start arguing over whether it is a 9 or an 11. Another observer settles their argument whilst Tsotsi stares out a window at the end of the room. At this point, the banging South African music starts and Tsotsi and his crew leave the house and parade around the slums. These guys are the slum thugs of Johannesberg and we are going to hitch a ride with them into the city.

Right from the start we see the difference between the slums and the city. The slums are crowded, with shacks stacked on top of other shacks and no electricity or running water, except for a little tap that the community queues for. In contrast, the city is mostly clean and built up, especially in the wealthy suburbs which Tsotsi and his crew go and visit. The suburbs even have trees, cars, and gated houses. It is a completely different world.

Also pay attention to the editing, particularly when Tsotsi and his gang arrive in Johannesberg station looking for a target. The camera fixes Tsotsi’s face in the middle of the screen and cuts to see what he is looking at. The camera switches from Tsotsi to commuter, from Tsotsi to family, from Tsotsi to a man handing over money. Boom, here is his target. Now the camera cuts between Tsotsi’s face and the same man who he saw handing over money. The camera gets closer to Tsotsi and his chosen victim between the cuts as Tsotsi closes in on his target. The editing makes it clear that he isn’t there to just people watch.

The Conclusion

The slums are a part of Johannesberg, and to ignore them is to ignore Johannesberg. Similarly, to ignore the people that live in the slums is to ignore your fellow citizens. For this reason, Tsotsi is an important story. At the beginning we see and judge a ruthless criminal that needs to be punished. However, by the end we may change our mind with a little more understanding.

 

 

45

Abouna (Chad) – Two Brothers Looking for their Dad in Chad

Abouna Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Image result for abouna film picture

How many films from Chad have you seen? In fact, how many African films have you seen? Probably not enough. Abouna is one of the better coming-of-age films you’ll see, plus it’s one of the most beautifully shot films you’ll see. Transport yourself to Chad for a while by watching Abouna here (on YouTube).

Why Watch Abouna?
The Breakdown

Abouna starts with an expansive shot of some desert sand dunes. A man walks across the sand whilst guitar music plays. He comes towards the camera, looks straight us, and walks off, across another sand dune and into the distance. It’s like a classic western shot of a cowboy riding off into the distance.

After the credits roll, two brothers 15 and 8 take the centre stage. They’re annoyed as their dad didn’t show up to ref their football game. They go home looking for him but there is no sign of him.

Their individual loneliness is captured in some beautiful shots of each of the characters with empty space surrounding them. For example, in the shot below, Amine (the younger brother) walks along the street on his own.

Without the empty space to frame the picture, everything would appear normal. But with the black empty space to frame the picture, the shot becomes more melancholy. Amine is on his own and has to take care of himself.

Conclusion

Simply put, Abouna is a great film. So watch the film and transport yourself to Chad for a while. Watch it here on YouTube.