Nossa Senhora do Nilo

A simply beautifully shot, acted and directed movie. The next time someone asks you for a secret gem of a movie recommendation mention this one.

I was so moved by this film in Berlin. I am still getting over the impact of this celebration of resilience and hope. The children were all wonderful. A must see. I can't imagine why so many bad ratings it must be a organized spiteful group as this film certainly does not deserve such dislike.

The movie has a touching story that unravels slowly across multiple chapters. Why does it even has chapters? Why is the film turns black and white on two occasions for about 90 seconds each time? This comes over as unnecessary artistic quirks that only serve the purpose to remind, that it is a festival movie. The cinematography otherwise is superb, with stunning shots of nature.

In this movie, we meet the students and the staff at a Catholic boarding school in Rwanda, Africa. The movie takes place before the 1994 Rwandan genocide. All students at the school are girls. They will, very shortly, learn more about life, love and each other.

A mixture of serenity and rebellions. Add a pinch of "Mean Girls" (2004) and "Lord of the Flies" and yes, then you have, in my honest opinion, a description of this movie. Some scenes confused me. Then a little too many questions were raised. In other words, I missed a bit more clarity. But all in all, I think that this movie is interesting. I would like to recommend it, especially if you are into African history.

Great story-telling, exceptional cinematography. I can understand why this flick's rating is so low. Racial bigotry causes this shameful mislead. Notre-Dame du Nil is a true gem for being aware of Ruanda's and Africa's heartbreaking history. Telling the irrational and European-made hatred between African people, even they lived as neighbours for centuries. Atiq Rahimi artistically prepares a vivid and convincing atmosphere where audience's questions are answered by good acting and strong script. This movie is telling the sorrow and anguish of innocents. While ironically this restores our faith in humanity.