El Layanda Du Buchi

El Layanda Du Buchi is not your typical film. In the 20 minutes that this film runs for it gets straight to the point. This film focuses on an African slave whose physique and overall size was intimidating to the slave master's men. The slaves themselves were not without fear of this young man. With each attempt to break him came failure. His world finally crumbled from within when the only thing he had was stolen from him: his mother. 

The locations chosen create an eerie atmosphere that meshes well with the story. Aside from the visuals there isn't much to guide you through the thick of this film. There is little dialogue and the film is in French so it makes it difficult to completely be aware of what's happening for the English speaking crowd.

The main character fit really well into his role not only because of his size but also because of his ability to take on the persona of the character.

This tale provides us with a look at something rarely seen in historic documents of the African Diaspora: the idea that through any oppression there will eventually be an uprising of the people. Unfortunately, the subtle makings of this film make it a work of art but one that isn't necessarily for everybody.

Words By: Sanjay Misra



A Dry White Season

A good film is just like reality. It never lets you suspect what's going to happen next.

Enter A Dry White Season. This story is centred around a family in South Africa battling a racist, political and lawful system that is making blacks disappear. This battle leaves the soil and enters the courts as the investigations, led by a few good men, strive to expose the blood shed by the hands of the accused.

Director Euzhan Palcy is responsible for becoming the first black woman to be recognized for making a Hollywood mainstream film. A Dry White Season doesn't contain any high-quality graphics and may fail to keep the attention of younger audiences that are used to the progressive world of cinematography. But if given the chance, this film will absorb viewers in its content, dialogue and characters. Famed actor Marlon Brando was so impressed with Palcy's writing that he wasn't concerned with money and arranged to be paid from the returns the film made.

Due to its very political nature I was curious about the responses individuals might have to the few graphic scenes of the torture of a black African. Palcy says, "of course there were negative reactions but after the screening in France a group of youth got organized and applied to be a part of Amnesty International."

A Dry White Season showcases the strength of a well-written script and is a testament to the fact that the contributions of artists is just as, if not more valuable than loads of special effects.

Words By: Sanjay Misra

Wrestling with the Angels: An Exploration of Caribeanness

Marsha Pearce is director of Wrestling with Angels: An Exploration of Caribeanness. This documentary explores how North America's pursuit of monopolizing off of the Caribbean culture has steadily altered Caribbean people's perception of their identity. In efforts to harness the culture in American music videos American artists have ultimately replaced what Caribbean culture is all about due to sensationalism, bigger budgets and replacing reality with fantasy as a marketing tool.    

Wrestling with Angels starts off on location in the island of Jamaica with the director of Damien Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock", Ras Kassa. Features in this 90-minute documentary include music video directors Carlene Samuels, Jay Will, Little X, Mungal Patasar and Nordia Rose who all appear on scene in Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica among other places.

The film confronts stereotypes portrayed by the media head-on. Believably Ras Kassa explains that his focus is moving away from the false imagery seen in videos and directing videos that move Caribbean people closer to who they are. Evidence is in his choice of location and the individuals featured in his work. He chose to film in the villages of Jamaica with the folks who are the creators of the environment the rest of the world admires.

By the mid-point, this documentary becomes repetitive. Viewers might lose interest and it may fail to educate us. It is not really relevant to Caribbean identity outside of music.

To sum it up Wrestling with Angels: An Exploration of Cairbeanness is a tool to empower Caribbean individuals who make music and those of us that live in North America and would like to respectfully represent Caribbean culture.

Words By: Sanjay Misra



HappySAD

It's hard to believe that a movie that took a little over 15 days to film is a must-see family flick. But HappySAD allows us to get used to the norm of hardships in life. Viewers will get the opportunity to soak up the concept of destiny and how events that occur in life shape and mold people to become stronger through the struggle.

HappySAD is set for the most part in Trinidad and Tobago where a young girl copes with the realities of life. The determined, tempered and spirited girl, Mandy Graham, is played by lead actress/model Angel Ross who delivers a strong performance.

Graham is a 17-year-old tomboy lookin', scrawny girl that many young females can relate to. Her dream and aspiration of scoring an athletic scholarship is her motivation throughout the movie. Growing up with a loose mother made her sure to keep her morals in check.

A sudden move to Tobago with relatives she had never heard of in her life keeps her guarded. She battles with trust issues because the only person that she expected to tell her the truth (her mother) failed to do so. But Sephis (Graham's inspirational grandfather), played by Bill Cobbs, encourages the young girl with his negative reinforcements.

HappySAD may be a tear dropper for its viewers. Expect this movie to move you and shed light on your own relationships. The exotic scenery keeps you captivated and wishing to see more of the island.

Directed by Dianah Wynter and edited by Michael Hogan, HappySAD is a movie that can relate to any type of family because no family is perfect.

Words By: Ranjit Dhatt

Nurse.Fighter.Boy

Charles Officer's Nurse.Fighter.Boy brings a brand new innovativeness to the Canadian film industry. With its emotional screenplay, this film will have you smiling, crying and thinking all at the same time.

The film consists of characters with their own personality traits, which make you want to look beyond the label nurse, fighter and boy. Officer's idea of uniting these three compelling people is a gift.

Clarke Johnson plays Silence a past-time boxer who fights illegally to put food on his table. Injuring himself again from yet another brawl lands him in the hands of Nurse Jude. Slowly after that incident he loses his good friend who runs the gym and holds a program for young boxers. Johnson takes charge of the program.

This romantically put together film stitches wounds by intertwining two lonely souls. Jude a nurse, who lost her husband awhile back, fights to be the mother and father to her son. Exhausting hours at the hospital and consistent medical treatments keep her in the dark. After meeting Silence she feels whole and self-fulfilled.

Daniel J. Gordan who plays Ciel, Jude's son, puts on a powerful performance. The love from his mother and music keeps his imagination at flight where his dreams are constant.

The use of aged reggae tracks from Maystones and Mikey Dread and newer acclaimed artists such as K'naan and Zaki Ibrahim are phenomenal.

Faith, love and trust are the main targets. The imagery is so dull and not even close to extravagant, yet so inviting and vibrant. It lures you into the emotional screenplay.

Words By: Ranjit Dhatt