African Cinema: A Screaming Man and Munyurangabo

Netflix Watch Instantly is not particularly strong in African cinema.  In an earlier post, I mentioned the work of Ousmane Sembene, the late Senegalese director who has three films on Netflix Watch Instantly (Black Girl, Xala, and Mandabi).  But overall Netflix could take some lessons from Mubi and Fandor regarding African cinema.  However, I was very pleased to see that A Screaming Man from Chad began streaming on Netflix this past weekend.  I had a chance to see A Screaming Man at the 2011 Wisconsin Film Festival and it was a straightforward but very moving story about a man's complicated relationship with his son after he loses his job (and his pride) at an exclusive hotel in Chad.  In addition to strong visual storytelling, A Screaming Man also features exceptionally beautiful cinematography.  It's debut on Netflix Watch Instantly prompted me to look at other features that I have missed over the past few years, Munyurangabo and Bamako, both of which are now in my queue.

A Screaming Man (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Chad, 2010, 91 minutes)
Netflix: Adam (Youssouf Djaoro) was a security guard at a posh Chad hotel until its new owners replaced him with his son (Dioucounda Koma). In this nation torn apart by civil war, citizens are called upon to help. But Adam only has one thing to give, forcing him to make a devastating choice. Emile Abossolo M'bo and Djénéba Koné co-star in this powerful drama, winner of the Jury Prize at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.  Netflix link.

Munyurangabo  (Lee Isaac Chung, Rwanda, 2007, 93 minutes)
Netflix: Orphaned by Rwanda's genocide, young Ngabo (Jeff Rutagengwa), a Tutsi, sets off to mete out rough justice with his Hutu friend Sangwa (Eric Ndorunkundiye) in this earnest drama, which netted director Lee Isaac Chung an Independent Spirit Awards nod. Packing a stolen machete, the boys leave the city of Kigali and head to Ngabo's rural village. Along the way, they stop at Sangwa's parents' home -- where their tribal differences soon come to a head.  Netflix link.

Bamako (Abderrahmane Sissako, Mali, 2006, 112 minutes)
Netflix: Director Abderrahmane Sissako's insightful social drama juxtaposes the troubled relationship between a bar singer (Aïssa Maïga) and her unemployed husband (Tiécoura Traoré) with the overwhelming economic hardships of Africa, illuminated through a mock trial against key international financial institutions. While spokesmen from African civil society rail against the World Bank, Melé and Chaka are struggling just to keep their marriage together.  Netflix link.

International: White Material (Claire Denis, 2009)

Claire Denis is a major figure in contemporary French cinema and the international film festival circuit.  I'm particularly fond of her 1999 film, Beau Travail, which is almost abstract in its narrative and visual style.  I'm also a fan of one of her lesser known less admired films, Trouble Every Day, which is, for lack of a better description, an art-house vampire movie with a perfectly creepy performance by Vincent Gallo.

She is perhaps best known for her 1988 film, Chocolate, which is also set in Africa, where Denis spent a part of her childhood.  With White Material, we get both a personal drama of a family falling apart as well as a political drama of a country veering toward civil strife and violence.  What I liked about White Material was the degree of ambivalence the film had toward the main protagonist Maria (Isabelle Huppert), who wants to hold on to the family coffee plantation long enough to reap one last coffee before violence takes over the region.

On the one hand we admire Maria as she fights to keep what is dear to her, but on the other hand she seems to be oblivious to the social and political privileges that gave her family the plantation in the first place.  Her single mindedness is both admirable as she tries any means to keep the plantation going, but also contemptible as she recklessly risks the safety of herself, her family and her employees.  And she seems oblivious to the possibility that the conflict itself may be a consequence her post-colonial privileges.

As with many Denis films, the visual style here is often absolutely gorgeous, but the style never distracts from the small intimate qualities of the narrative.  Instead there is always a state of relative unease because one is never quite sure whether the surrounding environment is one of tranquility or potential violence. 

White Material (Claire Denis, France, 2009, 105 minutes)
Netflix: Writer-director Claire Denis returns to Africa -- her childhood home and the site of her 1988 film, Chocolate -- to spin this tale of a country torn apart by civil war, as African soldiers force French nationals to abandon their land. At the center of the story is Maria (Isabelle Huppert), a white woman who ignores her family's fears and steadfastly refuses to leave her coffee plantation. Isaach De Bankolé and Christopher Lambert also star.  Netflix link.






In addition, Netflix Watch Instantly has Denis' previous feature, 35 Shots of Rum.  I haven't had a chance to see this yet, but I'm putting in in my queue and I'm looking forward to it.

35 Shots of Rum (Claire Denis, France, 2007, 100 minutes)
Netflix: This heartfelt slice-of-life drama by filmmaker Claire Denis tells the story of widower Lionel (Alex Descas), a train driver, and his grown daughter, Sophie (Mati Diop). The two spend most of their time together, but change is in the cards. A neighbor (Grégoire Colin) becomes attracted to Sophie, a family friend retires and Lionel tries to maintain a friendship with his ex-girlfriend (Nicole Dogue). Netflix link.