Na Cidade Vazia

This film caught my attention at the recent Rio Film Festival just because it came from Angola, a country rarely seen in the movies. After the civil war ended, and news subsided about the terrible land mine situation in the country (both themes addressed in the film), this large oil-rich, and relatively Westernized African country seemed to disappear from the scene. In cinema, only some Angolan characters are frequent in Portuguese films. But we never see the country itself, except on TV here in Brazil due to extensive cultural, linguistic, and increasingly economic ties.

All that said, the film presents a poignant story about a boy molded by the civil war in his country. As he journey's through Luanda, the capital of Angola, we discover a city and people who are not very different from those in a similar-sized Latin American city. We find a very Westernized society, much more so than the native African ones in Johannesburg or Cape Town. People only speak Portuguese amongst themselves exclusively (no native tribal tongues), and their habits and values are as globalized as anywhere else - definitely much more than in the rest of Africa. The buildings, layout of the city, apartments, homes and lifestyle of several socio-economic classes seem more like the Eastern Europe we see in art films than Africa. At least in Luanda and in the large cities of Angola.

Through the different characters and locations in the country's capital, the director gives us excellent insight to life in Angola's capital. Yes, from her point of view, but I understand she's held in great respect there, and known for fair portrayals of her country. For that alone, the film is an unusual treat and definitely worth seeing.