by Alex Billington
January 22, 2018
Source: YouTube
"If you don't pay, you stay here." Dogwoof has debuted the full UK trailer for an exceptional documentary titled Makala, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year and also played at the Toronto & London Film Festivals. I saw this in London and loved it, writing a rave review, hoping that I could convince a few people to check it out. Made by French filmmaker Emmanuel Gras, Makala follows one man from Congo (aka Democratic Republic of the Congo) who makes charcoal on his own then carries it on a bike to a nearby city to sell. As I said in my review: "it is one of the most engaging looks at humanity you can find on screen all year." It's a visceral, eye-opening experience following one man, that's the power of great cinema.
Here's the official UK trailer (+ poster) for Emmanuel Gras' documentary Makala, direct from YouTube:
A young man from a village in the Congo hopes to offer his family a better future. His only resources are his own two hands, the surrounding bush, and an iron will. When he sets out on an exhausting, perilous journey to sell the fruit of his labor, he discovers the true value of his efforts, and the price of his dreams. Makala is directed by French filmmaker Emmanuel Gras, of the films Bovines and 300 Souls previously. This first premiered in the Critics Week sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and also played at other fests including the Toronto, Tokyo, Vienna & London Film Festivals. Makala opens in select theaters in the UK starting February 2nd, but this still doesn't have a US release yet. Stay tuned. Who's interested?