Il quaderno di Sara

Motivated by the very mixed opinions and descriptions put forward by previous reviews, I wish to reframe this movie in what I believe to be, as a simple viewer, the correct context.

It seems to me that the obvious wish of the director is to bring to the screen the dire situation encountered in the Eastern Congo, for many years (decades) now, but that he does not wish to go totally over the top by showing the absolute full extent of the horror that has stricken that area of the world, presumably by fear of frightening the public. A lighter note is added by the story of two sisters, one of whom, established as a lawyer in Spain, sets out to find the trace of the younger sibling, working in an NGO in the Congo. At the same time, this gives what inevitably will be a predominantly western audience a number of characters to identify with.

The setting is borrowed from a very real situation, and a very real insurgent - or terror - operation lead in the 2000's by Laurent Nkunda. Barely disguised under the false name N'gunda, all the elements that characterized the reign of terror of Nkunda's group are brought to the screen, in a mix that gives the average viewer an idea of what went on there, without frightening her or him away - the real truth is simply too appalling to be portrayed frontally. The lead character should simply be seen as the narrator, the guide who leads the viewer through all this.

Remember that this is a movie, and that a director is free to portray what he or she wants. It therefore does not matter whether Laura's travels sometimes border on the irrealistic or luck or circumstance play too large a role in the plot. That is just entirely besides the point, since Laura is basically our "tour guide". I feel that the movie fits well with works of a similar character, notably "Cry Freedom", which, even though called a masterpiece, was fraught with much the same weaknesses. In "Sara's notebook", the director makes a very clear and laudable effort to portray the country, its circumstances, and the action as accurately as he can, given the means at hand.

In all, the director succeeds rather well. I would tend to dismiss accusations of racism read in other reviews. Being a western director, and having chosen to film from a western, european vantage point, certain prejudices are inevitable. It should however, be recognized that these are part of our western, european, point of view and inbred behaviour and set of reactions. That is just the way things are, and the author shows it. Nothing wrong with that. The most poignant is of course the fact that the Uruguayan UN soldiers (accurately portrayed) refuse aid to congolese nationals who need it most. Yes, institutional racism, or a necessity imposed by local circumstances, pushed to the extreme ? I do not pretend or permit myself to judge, I merely admit that the resulting picture looks realistic.

So, go have a look for yourself, and tell me what you think.