The White Massai

Corinne Hofmann's absorbing filmed autobiography is an extremely confronting film and, at least to this viewer, therefore became an uncomfortable couple of hours to watch. It's a tough story that lies before the viewer full of cultural confrontation, personal confrontation and the burial of some individual long-held believes and values. All of this drama is carried out with bare-knuckle subtlety in many cases and also with just as much beauty and softness in often back to back scenes. Anyone watching this wonderfully engaging film will be batted from one extreme to another-hence my use of the words "difficult" and "confronting".

It's a fabulous film to mentally play with after leaving the theater; there are so many aspects that must be filed away, in comfort-hopefully, after the total confrontation of values and ideas that will bombard anyone who watches The White Masai. I hope that i am not being nor will be branded as sexist when I write that I thought Lemalian, the Masai, had the harder row to hoe of the two of them-his traditions were continually being assaulted while Hofmann's, although similarly assaulted, were at least those of a visitor rather than as a resident of an extremely isolated and traditional society. Both paths were exceptionally hard and I left the theater feeling privileged that Huntgeburth made the film so that I could peek into events that would tax anybody.

Go out of your way to see this film because it is rare and insightful; you will not be disappointed.