Nowhere in Africa takes place in the 40�s and it depicts a beautiful and idyllic Kenya. At three hours long, there is a lack of dialogue but the cinematography and the displaying of the African cultures and traditions on the farm really keeps you watching.
The film is seen through the eyes of their daughter Regina who is the first person to befriend the Africans and it is through her that we see the family adapting. Being German and having had to escape from a potential war to a totally different life is difficult for the mother, and it also portrays the difficulty of living literally in the middle of nowhere. The British also imprison the women and while there are political underlyings it is never fully explored. The husband has to keep his family fed and he struggles with being the bwana, the man, and eventually the family learns to love and to grow and they find a sense of belonging.
This is a beautiful film, which won Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards, and there are moments in the film that are so breathtaking that everything stands still. Ouvor (Onyulu), who is their cook and mentor, guides them through this strange land and it makes you want to go there and live this simple life. He as a Masai warrior who feels honour bound to teach the newcomers, especially Regina, the ways of his people. It is essentially about keeping a family together but it is also about learning to change and to embrace a new way of living.
Based on an autobiography by Stefanie Zweig, Nowhere in Africa is an inspiring look through a child�s eyes of Africa. |
