Africa United

I finally got to see this film on DVD last night, and i absolutely enjoyed it very much. It is about three Rwandan children who plan to walk 3000 miles to be able to be at the World Cup in South Africa. I found the scenery throughout the film to be really amazing to watch. I thought the kids acting in the film to be so good. The friends are a talented teenage footballer called Fabrice, Dudu who is a shanty dweller and Dudu's younger sister Beatrice who i thought were fantastic actors. They are making their way to hopefully get to a Pre World Cup trial for Dudu friend Fabrice in Kigali, They end up getting the wrong bus, so they must find a way to get to the World Cup in South Africa. On their way they meet an escaped child terrorist called George and also a waitress called Celeste who is being held captive. They both decide to join the others on the long trip ahead. I really loved the African music which was playing throughout the film which gave the film a great atmosphere. I found it to be a very enjoyable movie with some good laughs along the way: 8/10

This is not a blockbuster film with a mega publicity budget, but what attracted me to such an independent work was that the writer Rhidian Brook is the son of a colleague of mine on the UK's Communications Consumer Panel. I'm pleased that I made the effort to see the movie because it is original in subject matter and talent and refreshing in both content and delivery.

Everything about it is different from the usual Hollywood fare. The British director Debs Gardner-Paterson is fourth- generation Rwandan, all the central roles are taken by African children, and all the wonderful locations are in Africa.

Essentially it is a road movie with a bunch of kids determined to travel from Rwanda to South Africa in order to be at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup. Although there is sharp dialogue and much humour, serious issues are touched upon, ranging from child soldiers to HIV/AIDS.

I loved every minute of this fantastic film! It is packed full of energy, passion and adventure brought together by an inspiring young cast and brilliant soundtrack.

As a former resident of Kigali and visitor to many of the places on route, I enjoyed the beautifully shot footage of stunning Africa and felt transported back to the energy of the places I visited and people I met.

The child actors were excellent, telling big stories with a striking honesty and simplicity. I laughed out loud at Dudu's one liners and wiped away a tear as George's story unfolded. A truly brilliant movie and one I will be talking about for a long time to come. My nephews will love it and my friends will love it, it is a film that spans the generations and offers something fun, engaging and insightful for everyone.

With a caste of brilliant young actors, this movie manages to walk the incredibly difficult tightrope between hopeless grim reality of life for many in Africa and the superficial heartwarming scenes of kids overcoming hardships.

The rhythm of the movie is perfect and the child's voice is authentically maintained.

I saw this at TIFF with 8 and 13 year old boys and 10 and 13 year old girls. They all loved it and want to see it again. The older crowd was equally enthusiastic.

This movie deserves the widest possible distribution. If I was still teaching high school, I would find an excuse to show it to everyone of my classes and try to get a screening for the whole school.

Africa United is a fantastic film that all ages will enjoy. It doesn't shy away from tackling some of the real issues that face the continent, but encapsulates it in a terrific story with great humour (some real laugh out loud moments) and brilliant soundtrack. It not only provides for an excellent and entertaining film but the creativity of the direction and production really makes these issues accessible particularly to a younger audience. The film has received amazing receptions at both the Toronto and BFI film festivals and has been getting great press in the UK as it hits the screens this weekend. In my view it's thoroughly deserved as is its comparisons as the African Slumdog. I'm certainly encouraging everyone I know to go see this great film and hope you will too.