Abouna

Description

Eight-year-old Amine and fifteen-year-old Tahir's world is shattered when they awake one morning to find that their father has deserted them and their mother. The brothers leave their poor Chad village and head for the Cameroon border to begin their journey in search of him. Soon after, they are stunned to see what they believe to be an image of their father onscreen at a local movie house. After getting caught for stealing the reel of film, their weary mother sends them away to a Koran school to learn discipline. All the while, Amine and Tahir are determined to escape and continue their search in this devastatingly powerful, magnificently photographed drama from director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. A triumphant follow-up to his international award-winning Bye Bye Africa, the New York Times praises,"Poignant though it is, [Abouna] is the opposite of depressing. There is too much life in it."

Customer Reviews:

Abandonment and search!.......2006-10-06

This is a quite film with beautiful landscape and about people and a culture we don't know much about and filmed in Africa, the city of N'Djamena. Moreso than the theme of abandonment is the director Mahamat Saleh Haroun's importance to bring these images to the screen as he has said, "Otherwise we have a colonization by images." According to the interview extra in the DVD, it was very difficult, with no electricity at times, no official actors in the area, and sending the footage 2600 miles to Paris for processing and then to determine if it was ok to continue.

This is a story of two young boys Amine, 8, and his brother Tahir, 15, who suddenly discover that their father is not at home to coach a game. With no help from their mother, a bitter woman who speaks ill of him, they embark on a journey to understand why he left and to find him.

We don't find out what occurred in the marriage that he felt compelled to leave, but you get the sense it is not unusual in their society to be fatherless since it has endured years of civil war.

During that journey, they find out that their father hasn't worked for two years at the place they believed him to go each day. They soon recognize him in a movie at the theatre and they plan to steal the film from the projector room. Then, they get in trouble, are sent away by their mother, and asthmatic Amine becomes ill.

This is the director's second film, the language also includes French. (2002). There are two short films included which are quite ....interesting???......MzRizz

Abouna.......2006-08-28

I enjoyed this film a great deal. The setting is Chad, I believe. Some place in Africa where they apparently speak a mixture of Arabic and French. The title translates as "Our Father." It's about two boys whose father goes away quite early in the film. They have a mother, but she's mostly a background figure. Quite memorable, though.

2002, subtitles but you don't care because dialogue is minimal. Gorgeous scenery, wonderful colors, not big budget but neither is it one of those shoestring jobs I've been reviewing a lot lately. Great, great story. Fantastic acting, wonderful characters, moving without being overdone, a bit of clever wit, and just an all-around damn fine movie.

Africa of the Heart Shown in "Our Father".......2006-07-06

"Abouna" (translated "Our Father") is, quite simply, an elegant movie in the same way Africa is elegant. Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun hews to the essentials of visual story-telling to give us a deep sense of the lives of these two boys, 8 and 15, and the place in which they live. The film is in Chad Arabic with English subtitles.

The DVD also features an interview with director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun and two of his film Shorts--"Goi Goi", and "B 400." Phil Hall who writes for "Film Threat" and "Wired Magazine" provides liner notes. He remarks that "Abouna is a perfect film" and explains why. You wouldn't be cheated if you bought the DVD just for these extras.

In his interview (in French with English subtitles) Director Haroun (known for his internatioanl award-winning "Bye-Bye Africa") says that he seeks to keep Africa at the center of things, not at the side-lines. May he continue in this effort of bringing the humanity of Africa to the eyes of the developed world. Not exotic Africa. Not troubled, bleeding Africa. Just Africa of the heart. Just our hearts, beating together, across cultures and worlds.

--Janet Grace Riehl, author "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary"

Average customer rating:

Abandonment and search!
Abouna
Africa of the Heart Shown in "Our Father"

Abouna
Starring: Ahidjo Mahamat Moussa , Hamza Moctar Aguid , Zara Haroun , Mounira Khalil , and Hassan Boulama
Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B0000AQVIB

Customer Reviews:

Abandonment and search!.......2006-10-06

Abouna.......2006-08-28

Africa of the Heart Shown in "Our Father".......2006-07-06

DVD:

DVD

DVD