Fantastic flicks and where to find them By Ishmamul Haque FILMS ARE CULTURAL BEHEMOTHS WHICH INFORM OUR VIEW OF THE WORLD. YET, OUR SCREENS ARE DOMINATED BY WESTERN, MOSTLY WHITE NARRATIVES. DECOLONISE YOUR SCREENS WITH THESE MOVIES WHICH CAN BE EASILY STREAMED AND ARE CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED. “Once you overcome the 1-inchtall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” – Bong Joon-Ho
1. RABBIT-PROOF FENCE (AUSTRALIA, STAN) Adapted from Doris Pilkington Garimara’s book, Rabbit-Proof Fence documents the seldom discussed atrocity which is the “Stolen Generations”. The true story follows three Aboriginal girls and their daring escape from the Moore River Native Settlement. Sisters Molly and Daisy and their cousin Gracie are forcefully removed and placed in the the settlement because they are
7
mixed-race children referred to as “half-castes”, an extremely derogatory term in the modern context. Despite an effort to erase their identity and culture and “breed out” their Aboriginal blood, they escape the ethnic cleansing and make a 2400 km homeward journey.
Triumphing over patriarchal barriers, this is a feminist story of hope and resilience seen through the lens of the vulnerable.
3. THE BURIAL OF KOJO (GHANA, NETFLIX)
2. MADE IN BANGLADESH (BANGLADESH, STAN)
Bangladesh is the third-largest exporter of garments in the world, making it highly likely that we are currently adorning something Made in Bangladesh. The film portrays the hidden, human cost behind the unsafe factories that manufacture these clothes. Shimu, a factory worker, struggles to unionise with her co-workers when a fire kills an employee. While the film shows the oppression of labourers under unchecked capitalism, it acts as a microcosm of the fight against patriarchy.
The Burial of Kojo is written with the sophistication of a Rushdie magical realism novel. This Ghanaian wonder was filmed on a micro-budget, yet the stunning visuals and aptly placed symbolisms enshroud it in an air of mysticism. A young child, Esi, needs to save her father who has been stranded for death at an abandoned gold mine. However, she must navigate through spiritual lands and decipher their meanings to accomplish this. Fascinatingly blending linear and non-linear story-telling, mysticism and reality, the movie ultimately is about love, guilt and the subsequent redemption.
