Nowhere in Africa
Directed by Caroline Link
Starring Juliane Köhler, Merab Ninidze, Sidede Onyulo, Matthias Habich and Lea Kurka
Rated R for some sexual content.

This is a really good movie and one that I don’t particularly feel like criticizing. It’s the story of a Jewish family that flees to Kenya in order to escape Nazi Germany. They go through trials and tribulations and emerge all the stronger because of it. It’s really a beautiful film and one that I recommend to pretty much anyone. It’s beautifully shot, features truly impressive performances and tells a story that you certainly want to hear.

It’s only flaw is that it might tug the heartstrings via a cliche or two at times and it uses its important subject matter as an excuse to ignore any temptation towards artistic restraint. It’s one hundred and forty minutes aren’t necessarily too many, but the film sort of eschews normal notions of narrative arc in order to hit all of the social and emotional points Link feels it must. This isn’t even a criticism really, just something you might or might not notice. In any case it’s very good and it’s difficult to argue with the Academy’s selection of it as last year’s best foreign language film (I do have my own opinions which we’ll be posting at some point...).

As impressive as the film is as a whole, its most astounding aspect is the truly amazing performance of 10 year-old Lea Kurka, who plays the family’s daughter for the first half of the film. She deftly maneuvers through a wide range of emotions and even languages, speaking in three throughout the course of the film. She emotes fear, joy and everything in between, putting forth a performance the likes of which I’ve never seen from a child. It all may seem like hyperbole, but she’s truly something to be seen. The rest of the cast more than holds its own, with particularly strong efforts from Juliane Kohler as the mother and Sidede Onyulo, who plays the family’s cook and all that is right with Africa.

In conclusion, Nowhere in Africa is a good film and one you should see. I’ll leave at that.

Rating 88%