MOVIE:
Africa and I
WHERE TO WATCH:
OUR RATING:
3.5/5 Stars
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
With just $80 (R1 185) in his pocket, Moroccan Othmane Zolati set out from his home with one goal: to make it to the southernmost tip of Africa.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
When 20-year-old Othmane Zolati decided to journey to the Southernmost tip of Africa, he had no idea what would be in store for him or how long it would take. But, with just $80 in his wallet, a small backpack of a few necessities, and a simple pocket camera he borrowed from his sister, Zolati set out on what would become an epic adventure throughout Africa.
At the beginning of the documentary, everything the viewer sees is filmed by Zolati, using the 'cheap camera' he so often refers to, and the quality shows. Fortunately, having earned a degree in engineering before he set off, Zolati could make money doing casual jobs. This paid for better filming equipment and for things he would need while travelling. So while the quality isn't great to start off with, I think that's what makes this documentary so much more intimate and human. It doesn't appear to be a massive production but rather more of a digital diary of someone's emotional and visual journey as they traverse cross-country for the first time.
Throughout Zolati's journey, we see him persevere through tough terrains, bouts of Malaria and scary encounters with strangers. I have to say this man is incredibly brave! Not only had he never left his north-western African home, but he was utterly alone in foreign countries where he knew no one. That is a very ballsy thing to do.
I have only ever travelled to one other African country, Lesotho. So, when I came across Africa and I, I was hoping to be transported to different parts of the continent I call home, and indeed I was. But I was a little disappointed too. Zolati spent four years filming his expedition over 30 000 km through 24 countries – that's a lot to process. So while I can imagine he had hours of film to sift through when putting together a piece for viewers, I feel like this doccie only touched the surface of the things he saw and the people he met.
90 minutes is simply not enough to showcase how he survived travelling through 24 different countries, the people he met, the cultures he experienced – well, in my mind, anyway. I feel certain moments in the documentary could have been expanded, like when he finally reaches the equator or when he runs into trouble at the Malawian border. But perhaps the one moment I really feel was rushed through was when Zolati finally reaches Cape Agulhas. Four years it took him to get there, and viewers are given a minute-and-a-half to relish in his accomplishment before he flies back home to Morocco.
With that said, I have to show love to the way this whole production was put together. Starting out with little to no filming experience, the footage Zolati shares with us is breathtaking. It reminded me just how beautiful the African continent is. With a bit of post-editing help from co-director Chris Green, who wrote and produced Chasing the Sun, what started out as a mere 'home video' turned into a visual map of Africa. Everything from the contemporary and traditional music to the stunning aerial views of the paths Zolati crossed – be it on foot, bike or skateboard – we should all be so lucky to experience even a part of the journey he went on.
Finally, at the end of the doccie, Zolati gives us an update on where he is now and what his next great adventure will be. I can only hope he will once again film it all for us to experience with him.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: