By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
Starring: Jerry Mofokeng | Makhaola Ndebele | Mary Twala | Silas Monyatse | Siphiwe Nzima-Ntskhe | Thabiso Makoto | Thabo Letsie | Tseko Monaheng
Country: italy, lesotho, south_africa, united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 120
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10849514/reference
Michael says: “Mantoa is an 80-year-old widow who has lost everything. Living in a small village in the Southern African country of Lesotho, she has buried her husband, her children, even her grandchildren, and is just waiting to die herself, despite her strong health and indomitable will. When the nearby city officials decide to create a reservoir by damning a nearby river that will require Mantoa’s village be relocated, it ignites a fiery resistance within her and she begins a crusade to prevent the relocation, knowing that the burial grounds of her family will be left behind.
“Lesotho director Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese weaves a powerful tale like so many other recent films about progress representing a death of the old ways. His camerawork, both illuminating the harsh but gorgeous African bush, and in close-up to Mantoa’s determined, age-lined face tell the story so effectively even with the scarcity of dialogue. Actress Mary Twala (THE DARK TOWER; SARAFINA!) is the real key to this film’s success. Twala worked on dozens of films in her lifetime, and she sadly died at 81 last year, but this tour de force performance is quite a legacy to leave behind. Whether she is in despair at the loss of her family and her continued existence, or struggling against a faceless government whose only concern is progress. she is a forceful presence on the screen and you can’t take your eyes off her. 4 cats”
Chris says: “I don’t think I’ve seen anything shot quite like this before: bold colors against darkness, faces and bodies illuminated by a single gas lamp, rough-hewn interiors giving way to bursts of painterly landscapes. Narratively, this also goes on a considerable journey, physically confined to a small radius but speaking volumes about what transpires within it, even if it wasn’t always entirely comprehensible. Still, I sensed and appreciated the mystery of it. 4 cats“