VUES D’ AFRIQUE FILM FESTIVAL 2019

Ushering in its 35^th year, this exotic international festival brings us all genres of films that tell their own riveting African stories.  156 films to stimulate, enlighten and tickle your funny bone, this international festival bravely shines the African sun into our own realm. And we learn more things under this sun.

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LA MISÉRCORDE DE LA JUNGLE (Directed by Joel Karakezi) ****

The second war in Congo in 1988 pits Rwandans against Congolese. Sergeant Xavier and Faustin, a young soldier get cuts off from their unit. They must travel through the jungle to reach safety. But this is not an easy feat. They even disguise themselves as Congolese, and get taken in by a village that teats them like family. The lines of loyalty get blurred. Tragedy stalks them, but the jungle trek went on too long, and one wonders why they are not bitten alive. One also wonders why the sergeant’s fabulous watch is not stolen from him at the end which was not clear at all.

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 LE PROCES 2.0 (Directed by Nadia Zouaoui)

Nadia ZouaouiAdd caption

Bombarded with hate mail both digitally and in letters by Fascist Quebeckers who hate her head wear, her sex and her religion, Nadia has calmly and with great poise confronted it all. The film bombarded us with the same points shown in different ways, but it was far too long and as such her poignant doc was weakened. Quebec’s Charter of Values set forth by by Pauline Marois and her gang of cowards once again resurrected with the CAQ party. I honestly believe Quebec can’t change; choosing such appalling anti-humanist views is as old as the priests that once ran the schools and churches here.
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MANNO CHARLEMAGNE UN HOMME UNE VIE


A great Haitian singer/guitarist/actor who takes us through the history of music via great singers from Haiti and beyond. Ranna was the way of the people to express themselves via dance and singing. He exiled himself to Montreal as his anti-Duvalier songs became a threat to his own life. 
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FIG TREE (Directed by Alamork Davidian)

Confusing and chronologically hard to follow, the film makes 16-year-old Mina the central heroine of this Ethiopian tale involving love, sacrifice and the prospect of a new home in Israel. Mina loves her cousin, Eli, so she does everything to subvert the pending immigration to Israel if it means Eli is not coming along. kidnapping youths though is the way of war, and Eli's future is bad. it's the director's first feature film and it shows. She needs a better editor. Rodas Gizaw as Mina was outstanding.

FIFA INTO ITS 37TH YEAR OF INSPIRING DOCUMENTARIES

If you are a lover of all things cultural, artistic and visionary, FIFA is the finest film festival for you to attend. Each cinematic story holds a mirror up to the world’s finest artists in different fields. We learn intimate details about their personal and professional journeys.

Reviews follow 

BOTERO
 (Directed by Don Millar)
Canadian premiere

This compelling and inspiring documentary film brings to life one of the world;s most acclaimed living artists. In fact, he is the greatest artist ever viewed in museums, and books about him sell better than any other artist!

The film holds up a factual mirror to Fernando Botero, shining light on his personality and art. This Columbian visionary later became a sculptor, but he painted first off. His enormous figurative sculptures stand as monumental beacons for everyone to enjoy, even laugh at and climb over them. They are now in almost every country, standing in squares, outside buildings and along watery paths. With Botero, big is beautiful!


Born is 1932, he came into this world without a silver spoon. His father was a traveling salesman on a donkey, and the young Fernando sold his first painting for 2 pesos in a small store in Medellin.
His trips to Italy, Paris and New York further allowed him to grow as an artist, carving out his own unique style: the big  and distorted would be his signature way; yet he lived as a pauper in small unheated rooms. When later psychoanalysed, it was thought that this enormous size in his figures is attributed to his longing to have a father to protect him; his father died when he was four.
Most of his life is revealed though his two sons and daughter who candidly share many family moments along with explanations of his art
Tragedy and personal struggles entered his journey of life, yet he became the artist that everyone loves, never suspecting he suffered a grave personal loss.
Always believing in his own artistic vision and the goodness of humanity, he donated all the works of art he owned to a museum created in his name in Bogota.

To create something that is a work of art, it must be controversial
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LE PLUS HAUT NIVEAU (THE HIGHEST LEVEL)

National Film Board Production

A fabulous up close and personal reveal of the emotions and doubts that often enter the psyches of these extraordinary musicians who play in the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. We see the different orchestra sections  being coached by professionals intent on helping each player understand  the emotions in the music they must perform – in this case: Death and Transfiguration opus 24 by Strauss. In their twenties, these emerging musicians are working in preparation for their cross Canada 12-city tour. They cover 17,000 kilometres with little sleep and time to practice “on the road”. The film has many of these young artists talking about their experience in the orchestra.

 Once a band member myself, and as a classical pianist, I related to their  their joy of making music with other talented peers. 
                                                     
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JEANNE MOREAU L’AFFRANCHIE (Directed by Virginie Linhar)

Jeanne Moreau was France’s iconic film star whose prolific cinematic career spanned the mid 20^h century. She was a woman who formed intense relationships with her directors. She married Louis Malle, Pierre Cardin; and other men, including Belmondo, Truffault and Orsen Wells fell under her spell. Later in life, her filmography included roles that emancipated the woman (A Man and a Woman; Jules et Jim). In reality she herself became totally liberated from stereotypes, and lived her golden years with ferocity freely. She was never without work.

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WHEN ARABS DANCED (Directed by Jawal Rhalib)

Morocco and Egypt, Algeria and Iran, the story is always the same. Before the Fatwa and before Islamic aggression.  Arab women danced in public and at home. Belly dancing is in fact the oldest form of dance. Now it is not only forbidden, a woman can lose her life for dancing. How pathetic that famous Arabic dancers of the past have been wiped from the annals of dance history by the government. Dance is done but in centres that the dancers call their own revolution.The film goes on for too long and repeats the same shot fo women dancing. The point is hammered in the same way no matter the country filmed.  Old black and white film clips and present day testimony tell the poignant tragic theme.

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UNE JOIE SECRÈTE (Directed by Jérôme Cassou)

Jérôme Cassou

On January 7, 2015, Charlie Hebdo was gun down. His important satirical magazine was the voice of reason against Fascism. Thus began the one minute dance project where dancers around the world dance for one minute. We see all kinds of dancers finding their own way to move in environments at home, outside in the rain, in squares and more places that the public sees and doesn't see. It is a strange but wonderful film that bucks the notion that dance belongs only on stage or in front of an audience outside.

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 TRUE WARRIORS (Directed by Ronja von Wurmb-Seibel & Niklas                        Schenckul

A theatre troupe is putting on a play about killings in Kabul. These fearless actors dare all to show the devastation of hatred Taliban-terror style. In the middle of their show an explosion rips through the audience. Chaos and killing converge. This compelling documentary about the actors and how they dealt with the aftermath of this murderous event is touching whilst showing the ongoing courage of some who decide to keep on living in Kabul. Others left to live in Europe. A must-see film that has close-up monologues of the main actors and director involved.