FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
NOWHERE IN AFRICA
Beginning in the 1930s, Jettel
Redlich (Köhler) and her young daughter Käthe (Zimmermann) leave
Nazi Germany to join her husband Walter (Minidze, a lithe Maximilian
Schell) in British-controlled Kenya. As a Jew, Walter has lost his legal
position and is now the overseer of an arid and impoverished farm. Tensions
between the parents begin immediately when Jettel brings the family china
and a new expensive dress rather than necessities for the African outback.
Unlike her mother, Käthe immediately takes to her new home. What sets
this film apart from Out of Africa, also set in Colonial Kenya, are the episodes of culture clash,
whether between this German Jewish family and their African neighbors or
when a teenaged Käthe attends a Protestant English boarding school. In a
poignant scene, Jettel comforts a sick and frail African woman who has
been left to die in the wilderness by her family. The film comes to a stop,
however, as the parents’ marriage disintegrates. The actors are too
complacent even though the marriage is at stake. The dialogue doesn't
help. “Why don’t you talk to me about this,” Jettel demands before
sauntering away from Walter after he's made a surprising life-changing
decision. More than once, one of them walks away resigned from a conflict;
the scene ends in a whimper. Although not romanticizing the colonial
system, the loving relationship between Käthe and the African cook Owuor
(Onyulo) may seem patronizing to some. But with its historical
backdrop, this film will appeal to those who enjoyed the BBC miniseries
The Flames Trees of Thika and the film The English Patient.
Extras: The informative commentary, by the director, producer, and actress Juliane Köhler,
will give you a greater appreciation for this well-made genre film. The most informative
interview is of the strongly opinionated author Stefanie Zweig, who separates fact from
fiction. And even the caterer gets a moment to shine in the overly thorough “The Making
of...” featurette. KT
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