Vuta N'Kuvute

Set in 1950s Zanzibar and based on the award-winning Swahili novel by Adam Shafi, Tug of War brings to life a little-known slice of history about the underground movement to win independence for Zanzibar, which was under British rule. Denge, a young Mswahili revolutionary leader trained in the Soviet Union, distributes "Free Zanzibar" pamphlets and recruits people to the cause. One of his recruits is Yasmin, a young Indian-Zanzibari woman who has run away from an arranged marriage, and whose Indian heritage places her in the privileged upper classes of society.

This was more a simple love story and less focused on the details of the political strife that was the basis of for the story. I felt the pacing was a little slow at times, even more so than usual for an independent film. Still, I found the cultural aspects and the principle characters interesting enough to overcome some of the more tedious stretches in the film.

6 stars in my personal rating guide translates to "not riveting, but a worthwhile watch."

Along the Indian Ocean shore and in the narrow streets and stone houses of 1950s Zanzibar, Yasmin and De defy the colonial authorities to pursue freedom and self-government as well as a forbidden romance. In a segregated city Yasmin is running from an arranged marriage and De struggles to distribute revolutionary pamphlets. Yasmin and De meet by chance and ever afterwards cannot bear to be apart from each other. Together they dream of a better future and see their city through new eyes.

This stylish, colorful, classic romance is shot Wong Kar-Wai In the Mood for Love style. It is a resplendent, playful, and gorgeous technique that utilizes odd camera angles (above and below characters, in water, and through windowsills), fashionable clothing, slow motion sequences, bright colors, contrasts of light and dark, atmospheric music, and frequent close-ups of faces and curious small objects. Portraits of characters are shown on screen with their lips sealed but their voices are heard running in the background.

Anything is possible with the human spirit, said director Amil Shivji in a question-and-answer session after the screening. In support of the local community Shivji utilized a Tanzanian cast. This was good and bad. Good that the actors were authentic and real, and bad that things didnt come together all that well and the acting was a little shaky. Tug of War is the first Tanzanian film to appear at the Toronto international film festival.

World premiere seen at the Toronto international film festival. The film is based on the novel by Adam Shafi.