Abouna

A visual narrative on ordinary folk with a simple but instantly recognisable plot on family responsibility. Children and women are often the victims in male dominant third world societies. This film aims to express this through the eyes of children in a fragile society. In the aftermath of post-colonial and civil war-torn Muslim state Chad, a father leaves home for Morocco, leaving behind his wife and two boys, presumably to make money for his family. Their mother becomes stressed and cannot assert full parental responsibilities alone and so hands her children over to a nearby Koran school. Here, the boys plot to venture out and find their estranged father, not realising the extent of the journey or indeed where Morocco is - other than by the sea. As most people in the desert region of Chad have never seen the sea, their quest becomes a dream not to be fulfilled.

The pace of the film is deliberately slow. The narrative is mainly visual. The use of non-actors gives it that realistic edge. To me it is another fine example of indigenous African cinema that aims to bring home the reality of life. Cinema isn't just there to entertain (or make money) it is also to educate and enhance thought. Well recommended piece of social realism.

For a film with a relatively short 84 minute running time Abouna (Our Father) felt like an eternity.

It follows the (mis)fortunes of 2 young boys after the disappearance of their father, whom I assume had gone accross the Chadian(?) border to look for work abroad.

The direction is pretty good and features some beautifully constructed shots of the Chadian landscapes. The beginning and the end are well paced but the whole middle section of the film drags on forever. Special mention goes to the young girl who plays the deaf mute, she was fantastic.

Still, it is worth going to see even if it's just to drag you out of the multiplex and into your local art-house!

On the surface a simple, affecting tale of two sons' search for their absent father, Abouna is actually a film of some sophistication.

At one point the brothers visit a cinema. The posters outside advertise the African film Yaaba, Chaplin's The Kid and most notably Jim Jarmusch's Stranger Than Paradise (hardly likely to be topping the bill in Chad). Other posters which would have been apt include "Pather Panchali", "Les Quatre Cent Coups" and any one of a number of recent Iranian movies.

Jarmusch's elliptical style of story-telling seems a particular influence, all of the obvious plot points (a kiss, a capture, a death) occur off-camera and the dialogue is more about what is not said than about what is. I do wonder a little whether an audience in Chad would buy this deadpan style or whether the film is really aimed at the First World art-house audience, but for me it works well.

There seems to be a metaphor in the idea of the absent father, perhaps relating to a country that the director feels has lost its way after many years of colonialism and war. The central family is not poor by African standards, but life is still harsh.

Much of the music is by the Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure, and you can really hear the African roots of the Blues in his playing. The images of landscape, skin, children playing are beautiful.

There can't be many countries in the world that the average Briton knows less about than Chad; indeed, when I saw this film on television, the announcer described the place as part of Cameroon! Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's film is thus interesting as a glimpse of a life rarely seen by westerners; and if at times the characters seem a little short of dialogue and motivation, the imagery is striking and the sentiments heartfelt. 'Abouna' doesn't feel like a finished, polished movie; but there's the talent of it's director is definitely on display, his use of stillness and silence partially offsetting the relative absence of conventional plot.

I read that this was the first feature length film from Chad (meaning, fully financed, with most cast/crew from Chad). So it is worth seeing just for that, to honor the filmmakers who, amidst all endeavours of making a film in a country that lacks resources for local cinema, were able to get things done. But one thing that struck me the most, technically, was the lighting in this film. Using layered structures of fore and backgrounds, for instance a character would be in the foreground sitting in a dark room by the window. He would appear as a dark silhouette, surrounded by a dark room, but in the back ground we see the view from outside the window. They obviously set their light exposures to outside to get the effect, but it is noticeable because of it being used several times. This and many other conscious decisions comment on the abilities of the filmmakers and their wilingness to employ the tricks of the trade, even if local cinema in Chad is very new.