I would like to state for the record that I really don’t like how Africa configures its World Cup qualifiers. I find the process of using two-legged ties to determine all the slots to be far more nerve-racking, especially when compared to the rather placid manner in which other countries qualify through group stage play. I actually felt legitimate anxiety when tracking the CAF scores on my phone, hoping that the countries that got through were the ones that I had already written critiques for. I don’t know why I go through these types of emotions. I should really try to relax more and learn to accept the results that occur with a far more positive attitude.
I mean sure, I spent an afternoon in a library researching Algerian films only to find a valid selection on a website where I could download a copy. And yes I could dwell on the fact that I choose the free option for downloading the film which initiated an excruciating long process that took roughly 80 minutes. And it would be natural for me to think that I ingloriously wasted all that time when suddenly realizing that I did not have to write an immediate critique of said film. But on a positive note I don’t have to do any research for Algeria for the next iteration of this series. I could literally hold this film in reserve until the day that Algeria qualifies, which will then allow me to redeem this time spent. Everything will work out fine eventually. In the meantime, I get to consider what Cameroon has to offer when it comes to film culture.
Victor Viyuoh’s only feature film to date was initially screened in the US at various film festivals across the country. Unfortunately though the film never secured a proper theatrical run. The festival circuit exposure though may have been enough for the Global Film Initiative to discover the film and include it on their final Global Lens series in 2014. You may recall from my Uruguayan critique that FilmRise eventually acquired the US rights to all of GFI’s titles. Since FilmRise’s primary business model is to provide content to streaming platforms, DVDs are not going to be a great option for access. According to worldcat.org there are, in theory, DVD copies setting on the shelves of 5 university libraries within the US. If you want to find a DVD copy elsewhere, good luck! The film though can be streamed on a number of platforms, including Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu and others. If you’re a skinflint like I am, there’s even a free option to stream the film on the Roku Channel, albeit you’ll be punished with advertisements. You may recall from my South Korean critique that there’s a life hack you can do in these instances where one triggers all the ad breaks and then jumps back to the beginning of the film. Thankfully this trick still works.
What caught my eye early on in this film was the quality of the imagery. There was a sharpness and unsullied clarity to the visuals that suggested the use of modern, state-of-the-art equipment. The clean and unvarnished aesthetic of the video imagery added a greater layer of realism and intimacy to the film which at times provided for a deeper and more riveting impact. The action sequences for one contained a certain vibrancy that I usually don’t experience when watching proper ‘films’. The filmmakers showed an ability to properly exploit the qualities that digital grade video could provide. Unfortunately though film making is about more than just technology. The aspects of the cinematography that required a more human touch revealed some of the crew’s inexperience. The editing early in the film employed incredibly quick jump cuts, which seemed conspicuously designed to forge the brutality of the family’s violent interactions. The film also suffered from brightness and contrast issues with the sky usually seen as a soft, white glow. This got so bad during the trip back to the farm that some of the shots appeared as if they were poorly green screened. However these minor technical deficiencies were not prevalent enough to detract from the overall quality of the film.
I thought the framing and staging of the shots themselves were quite excellent. For one there was a good balance between close, intimate shots and more distant, broader perspectives. The former allowed the performers to inject some emotion and personality into the film, as evidenced by Ninah’s final address to her father. The latter enabled the film to establish the larger social environment in which the story took place, which ultimately played a role in the narrative. But beyond this there were some fascinating shots like the one of Ninah working at her eatery while her husband Memfi loitered in the background. Not only was the perspective here perfectly staged, but the image worked on a thematic level as well. I enjoyed the fact that this was a rather long shot and that no matter how much Ninah buried herself in her work, Memfi remained as a persistent, lingering force in her life for which there was no escape. Ninah dared to ignore what she could not avoid. This shot elegantly offered a symbolic, visual representation for their complicated relationship, while also building some tension in the film. Another interesting shot was the one of Memfi seen through the prism of fire and smoke, which clearly conveyed a sense of intensity in the chase. The low angle perspectives were also used well to garner sympathy for Ninah during one of her husband’s physical assaults. I also found favor with the film’s ending, were only the audio of the film’s resolution was heard, complemented with the final image of Ninah having gone though a night of pure torment. This juxtaposition was intriguing due to its complexity, ultimately suggesting a sense of relief that arrived too late, robbing the viewer of an indisputably satisfying conclusion. Despite its technical flaws the cinematography was certainly not devoid of artfulness.
Another artful aspect of the film was its acting which I thought was superb, especially from the two lead performers. In the role of Memfi, Anurin Nwunembom effectively played a stubborn, unforgiving and fiercely intimidating patriarch. He was so skilled in conveying these qualities that often his mere presence in a scene could come across as a threatening force, making the notion of dramatic hostility seem inevitable. Nwunembom though should get credit for playing the role with a great deal of depth, nuance and personality which made the character far more compelling. In fact its especially interesting to consider the first lengthy scene involving Nwunembom where his character got berated by his superior. Here Nwunembom appeared nervous, timid and meekly submissive, which went completely against the tone that he would exhibit for the remainder of the film. This scene allowed Nwunembom to establish Memfi as a person with little social standing and who perhaps projected the frustration of his insignificance onto his family. Sally Ntalla in the role of Memfi’s mother was also granted a unique relationship to the character and further aided in fleshing out Nwunembom’s portrayal. But even beyond this, one encountered a peculiar moment where Memfi slapped his own daughter only to apologize mere seconds later with a tender embrace for which Nwunembom played in a remarkably genuine manner. The fact that the character was capable of regret beyond his seemingly thoughtless impulsiveness made one contemplate the character more deeply.
If Nwunembom’s cinematic objective was to offer some dramatic intensity, Mbufung Seikeh’s character seemed designed to inject the film with some emotional gravitas. This was none more apparent than in the scene where her character offered her final words to her father. While some may view this portion of her performance as a bit too overwrought and cloying, Seikeh still did great work in the more subtle, reflective aspects of the role. In Seikeh’s lone scene with Ntalla, the line about how Memfi’s mother needed to get back home before dark was delivered with the perfect mix of stern defiance and tense apprehension. In Seikeh’s first scene with Clarise, her slight, barely noticeable smirk allowed both the character and the audience know who the father of her unborn child was. In fact Seikeh was often excellent with her physical, non-verbal acting, with much of it coming across as visually striking. I liked her look of pure terror when Yunus asked her to cross the bridge. I thought she did well expressing her character’s fear and vulnerability after she accidentally hit Memfi in the face. Equally evocative was her visage of anguish after she got tied up. There was also some charm in her odd, inquisitive looks when she briefly considered holding her father’s hand. Even when Seikeh wasn’t delivering her dialogue, which she often did with great spirit and passion, she mastered the small details of the performance. One of my favorite moments in the film came after a discussion between Ninah and Robert, where Seikeh, in response to something that he had said, momentarily halted her stride before walking back inside.
This level of quality with the small, physical nuances of the performances were seen all throughout the cast. One saw this from David Bahngeh in the role of Gwosang who offered Memfi little more than an eerie, silent look of contempt. One saw this from Che Fuh Hilarius as Robert, who when attempting to argue that Ninah had no rights to claim her father’s home, complemented his delivery with the fact that he could barely look her in the face and would tentatively sway back and forth. One saw this in the piercing stares from Ntalla when she attempted to convince Ninah to return home. One might also see this in the way Kecha Norbert extended his arms outward when revealing to Memfi that Ninah was pregnant. In addition to this was Nkwah Kingsley’s excellent look of fear at the thought of Ninah drowning to death as well as Norbert’s subtle look of concern when Memfi was beating her.
These latter two performances were made more intriguing by the modest inner turmoil that both actors expressed, effectively establishing a sense of moral conflict in the narrative. While the film might initially pose the question of whether Mike and Fuh should continue to assist Memfi given his increasingly disturbing behavior, I think it ultimately considered the larger question regarding the social responsibility that should exist for what some may see as a personal conflict. The extent to which others should intervene into the affairs of the main characters was a constant theme throughout the film, and it was one that the filmmakers addressed with a great deal of complexity and breadth. One of the more fascinating shots in the film was the moving shot of the group taken from a car that was driving down the road. This offered a perspective of complete detachment. One saw the characters as a perfect stranger would, when there would be no motivation to act. It suggested the presence of societal ills beyond one’s capability to perceive them. One of the more interesting moments in the narrative occurred when the group encountered another instance of domestic abuse while walking back to the farm. This allowed one to see the conflict between Ninah and Memfi as part of a much larger problem. Not only did Ninah’s issues get stripped of their distinctiveness, but the transient, relative peace between the two main characters allowed one to see their grievances in a far less dramatic light. This sequence questioned whether or not Ninah’s predicament was the most urgent, pressing situation in which to intervene. Ultimately though the conflict that existed on the main stage escalated to the point where action must be taken. This initially occurred when Zhu was implored to bring the two characters together to resolve their differences, and then later when the village decided to investigate the charges made against Memfi. Justice was only achieved as a social construct.
I thought the filmmakers did a good job of working with a narrative that offered little beyond an extended cat-and-mouse chase stemming from a violently dysfunctional, arranged marriage. For one, the scene between Ninah and her father established all the necessary backstory exposition that one needed in order to understand the complicated nature of the relationships in the story. The narrative itself had a good pace and contained enough tension to keep one engaged. A good example of this was the lengthy shot of Ninah after Robert explained that they couldn’t pay back the dowry. This scene afforded Ninah a brief moment of freedom, before she summoned the courage to face Memfi again. By this point the film had already done plenty for one to feel a true sense of danger about what was to happen. I also enjoyed the suddenness of Ninah’s first escape attempt, which brought some excitement to the story. Granted her second escape attempt was easily perceived as contrived, given that it depended on the idiocy of her captors. Rough edges aside though this was a remarkable film that offered a strong argument for the potential of noteworthy cinema that could come out of Cameroon and perhaps Africa as a whole.