NAKOM ****
As the younger mother of a crowded village’s house walks away, abandoning the circumstances, the oldest one, carrying anguished sense of loss, states “our traditions are dead”. In this surprisingly uplifting debut by a pair of women directors, T.W. Pittman and Kelly Daniela Norris, a community is united to reinforce their values and beliefs. The film opens with breathtaking images of splendid natural landscapes in Ghana, contrasting with the impoverishment, the crowds, the pollution. A young man is astonished with a phone call. He must leave the completion of his Medical-study exams, his girlfriend and lifestyle in the big city, to attend his family’s needs back home, when his father suddenly dies. As he arrives, he’s called “Master”- the one who must take responsibility for the house’s duties and living creatures. He’s immediately overwhelmed with the sense that his father also left everything behind: his wives, children, laborers and farm in need of intense care. The mourning is obvious, so is the joy for his presence, a long-awaited reunion, after many years away from home.
He’s convinced he’s there for the burial only, and must diligently return to his educated life. His mother insists he should stay and run the place, but when observing the attitudes of his family and community, and considering the risks of unsuccessful harvest, he feels it’s time for him to step in and get things moving forward. At first he demonstrates selfishness, centered on his interests and manners, but quickly becomes the mediator, a source of hope and motivational progress: his sister craving for a chance of education, his mother’s process of aging, an old friend who sparkle his childhood memories, a cousin with an undesired pregnancy, and others. Prepare yourself for one of the most beautifully raw and humane films in years: as the protagonist Iddrisu, actor Jacob Ayanaba takes us into the upbeat journey of a man back home trying to make it a living in a competitive world, while remaining loyal to his family’s traditions and the evolutions he’s chosen to profess. He gives an outstanding and powerful performance, as a young man determined to reestablish his community and his house.
The directors achieved a phenomenal result with the successful narrative: supported by a lovely soundtrack by Daby Balde, mixing African rhythms, folk and acoustic guitars, the glorious cinematography by Bob Geile capturing the wonders of Mother Africa and the emotional turbulence on those faces, the script, although set to a previously seen structure (son returns home), enchants the audience with its freshness, soft dark humor and tenderness. The directors are also committed to study the villagers’ principles and moral values, as well as the differences on how they and Iddrisu express submissiveness to capitalism. Another noticeable element in the film is the depiction of the great importance of family harmony and tolerance: these humble people eat from their hands, with bowls placed on the ground, but their compassion, humility and integrity is above all their greatest honor. Before anything, they first greet the house, as a whole institution of love and respect. In this quite ordinary atmosphere, given the precarious circumstances, they reveal an upper level of integrity, security and love for each other, more than in anywhere else chained to gold. And that’s reason enough to just love the film and its inspiring characters. (Official Selection New Directors/New Films 2016. Playing Friday, March 18th at Film Society of Lincoln Center and Saturday, March 19th at MoMA)
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