The Last Disciples [2016] (written and directed by the Isabelle Brothers) well produced, MTV "Reality Show"-like modern-day adaptation of several Biblical stories -- notably of Cain and Abel, Noah and Job. The language is often quite offensive (so it would not be for kids). However, for teenagers who've already "heard the bad words" as well as college-aged young adults, I do think that the film offers a quite captivating approach to comtemporizing the stories of the Bible -- the story of Job, for instance, is really presented in "Entertainment Tonight " / "reality show" like format. What's also remarkable is that the Isabelle Brothers made this film working out of their hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. As such, they provide a tantalizing glimpse of a decentralized future of video / cinematographic storytelling, one which won't necessarily need to be centered in major cities like New York or Los Angeles. -- 3 Stars
The story's about a couple, Clifford (played by Joseph Benjamin) a rich Ghana-descended businessman who flew back "home" from the U.K. to get himself a wife through an arranged / brokered marriage, and then Rebecca (played wonderfully by Yvonne Okoro) the village woman who he basically bought for himself. The two find themselves "stuck in their car," which had broken down on the road somewhere in the hinterlands of Ghana between Rebecca's village and the airport from where they would fly then (back) to the U.K.
So at the beginning of the story Clifford's clearly "in charge." After all, he was "the one with the money" who flew out to again effectively "buy" Rebecca. But, sitting there on the clearly not well traveled road, awaiting someone to pass by to give them assistance, power and the initiative begin to clearly swing back to Rebecca. After all, they find themselves "stuck" in _her country_, SHE knows what's going on, HE doesn't have a clue ... As simple as the story is -- nominally about a couple stuck in the car at the side of a largely abondoned road -- it leaves Viewers with _a lot_ to talk / reflect about.
Now about the film's format. THE Los Angeles based DISTRIBUTOR of the film was present at the end of the screening to take questions. He said that the format -- English with English subtitles -- was intentional, noting that there are over 2 billion people across the world for whom English is a second language. The format English, with English subtitled may irritate many (younger) North Americans for whom English is their native language (and they are still NOT "hard of hearing"). However, he said that EVEN IN THE UNITED STATES about 35% of the potential viewing public would appreciate those subtitles. Who would they be? Immigrants AND older people. Then outside of the United States, this format would allow those 2 billion people to practice their English.
Again both the story and the film's viewing format offered much to think about -- 3 Stars
What's going on? What happened? While taking some time to explain some of the history of Afro-Latino marginalization in Latin America, the great and truly _beautiful_ strength of this Documentary is that it's A CELEBRATION OF AFRO-LATINOS and all that they can and at times already offer the larger society / world. For instance, modern West Africans travel to Latin America, notably to Brazil, Suriname and coastal Colombia to _learn_ African languages / dialects and about African religions / religious conceptions now largely lost in their native West Africa. Then the mixing of the cultures and races produces some truly fascinating and beautiful conceptions in both fashion and the arts. All in all, this really promises to be A GREAT / FASCINATING DOCUMENTARY SERIES -- 4 Stars
Imagine simply THE BONES of MILLIONS OF BODIES spread along the bottom of the Mid-Atlantic between Africa and the Americas.
Neither is it simply an issue of simply Blacks coming to terms with the Horror and Magnitude of this Tragedy: One of the more striking moments in the film involved a twenty-something young woman from an old Massachusetts family that made its fortune (presumably) in 18th early 19th century through the Slave Trade. She and several of her relatives when back to Senegal to partly atone for their ancestors' part in this horror. Truly a beautiful and again _very_ powerful / thought-provoking film -- 4 Stars
Taking place during the 2011 Protests on Tahrir Square which eventually brought down the Regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the film's about an ever-smiling 20-something Muslim domestic worker named Nawara (played magnificently by Menna Shalabi) living seemingly on one side of Cairo and -- three buses later -- working completely on the other side (Note that while stationed in Chicago, I knew of Latina domestic workers who made similarly crazy daily commutes from South Chicago all the way to the wealthy suburbs of the North Shore).
It was clear that Mubarak was on the way out. The news on both State TV and Radio were now suddenly (but consistently) about the corruption of the Mubarak Regime. Nawara and her family were excited by the promise that so much looted wealth will be returned to Egypt that EACH EGYPTIAN would receive some 200,000 Egyptian pounds in compensation. Among other things, Nawara and her largely unemployed / working odd-jobs electrician boyfriend Ali (played by Ameer Salah Eldin) would FINALLY be able to get married. But of course such a prospect -- that so much wealth could possibly be returned back to the county -- was horribly ... naive. How could ever smiling, ever optimistic, but POOR Nawara possibly hope that "things would turn out well" for her and her kind? All in all an excellent film _personalizing_ the supreme tragedy of the betrayal of the Arab Spring -- 4 Stars
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