"If Adebayo was an animal, he would be a Girraffe and Rooney would be a Lion."
These were the words of Fabrice in the acclaimed family entertainment movie;frica United. It won a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival last month.
Written by Rhidian Brook, a Welsh novelist,broadcaster,TV dramatist, short-story writer and winner of the 1997 Somerset Maugham Award he tells the tale of two friends Dudu and Fabrice and little Beatrice; sister to Dudu. The trio embark on an adventure from their homeland in Rwanda on a quest to the National Stadium in South Africa where Fabrice could fulfill his dreams of playing football in the World Cup.
Their homeland Rwanda, still remembered to many as a country that had 800,000 people as victims of a hapless genocide in 1994; still did not fail to intrigue as well as fascinate with its exotic landscapes, clear blue vast skies that hovered over crystal-clear waterfalls,running lakes and clear-blue seas. It was also home to some of the most spectacular wildlife.
They encounter a twist however, after arriving in Kinshasa; Congo"s capital in error. Dudu"s larger than life attitude and witty determination; would not give in to the obstacles. Desperate to cross the border and continue; they team up with Foreman George; a ruthless former child soldier, orphaned during the war but zealous for a better future. With a bag full of cash, he decides to take them through the border and embark on the rigorous journey to South-Africa with his new-found friends.
Dudu though just 13, proved to be an astounding manager to the group with a gift in story-telling and a chatty and bubbly character that proved to be the medicine that steered them on through their adventures.
Travelling on lake Tanganyika,they arrived at a holiday resort where they met Celeste; a young girl of african descent born of royal blood. She was pretty but with steely in character and worked as a bar maid in the resort. She was forced into marriage,escaped and forced into prostitution. All seemed well until they had their money stolen and thrown out of the resort.
It was later retrieved and they continued with Celeste, a new member of the group hitch-hiking on trucks, shooting their way through an ambush of men after Foreman George to selling their blood in a blood-bank when stranded for cash in Tanzania.
Beatrice; sister to the big hearted Dudu, was a calm and reserved girl with an ambition to become a doctor. An opportunity to study medicine at Tanzania came knocking which she took happily.Although they were sad she was leaving, they were also happy she was pursuing her dreams as well. This also proved Dudu"s leadership abilities of not only being target driven but also having love and respect for his team mate"s decisions.
In the final act they reach South-Africa just in time for the world cup where Fabrice is asked to play in the opening game. Their excitement knows no bounds but is cut short when Dudu; the boisterous 13 year old character with a heart of Gold, falls ill with complications from HIV; an infection he had kept secret from his team mates. The movie finishes rather tragically with Dudu telling a tale on a hospital bed illustrated in the film with colorful puppet-like animations done with such simplicity it makes you smile.
The film takes its audience through most countries of the African continent which the writer, producer;Eric Kabera and director;Debs Gardner-Paterson all travel in a jeep through the dusty roads of Rawanda through Tanzania via Congo DR and Burundi to feel the emotions of the characters and have their experiences as well so as to bring a fresh and original story to our screens. The film also addresses topics like poverty, AIDS, prostitution, gun violence,and genocide in a subtle and entertaining way and still not compromising the beauty of the exceptional bio-diversity mother Africa holds.
The film"s witty feel good humour,exploits from country to country and fast-moving action will definitely burst your bubble. Go Africa !
