tradu-06897

Anything but a comedy, this movie's title is ironic. Its story is profoundly sad without being a tear-jerker. The actor Arman Darwish carries the film portraying a left-handed, sensitive and artistic boy in a milieu where military force and ridiculous macho bravado are admired. He manages to succeed in this world only to question it forcefully. Although it takes place in a Muslim country, and one might expect the drama to depict forceful men and submissive women, in fact the movie's women are as strong or stronger than the male characters, and most definitely have sophistication and agency. The movie makes a powerful statement and offers insight.

This film moved me more than almost any other I've seen, and the other English reviews seem to have seen a different movie. Samba is profound and tragic in that it shows two people who have both suffered because of their position in society. The woman has come to doubt herself and feel sub-human; the man has managed to maintain self-respect in a global economy that puts him at the bottom because of his origins in Africa. He has humor, kindness, a good work ethic, and integrity, but what good will it do him in the face of the skewed policies of national interest? Thanks to him, the woman regains faith in herself and falls profoundly in love, but will they make it? For me, the film's ending is ambiguous, leaving this an open question for the viewer to try to answer. A painful and beautiful film for me. Loved it.

Being from a small city in the temperate part of the U. S. South, I can see how necessary this film is. It's got beautiful cinematography, a dramatic story tempered with moments of gentle humor, a well-done soundtrack, musical Malawian narration, large, easy-to-read subtitles, and typical - but not stereotypical - American characters. The story takes us from a small town where everyone farms and few are educated, in Malawi, to small towns in the U. S. where conditions are similar, but more "developed." A little bit reality show, a little bit international mission trip, and 100% rain on parched ground.