Waiting for Happiness

Aroview: A worldly 17-year-old returns to his coastal hometown, only to find himself a stranger amongst a community caught in limbo between progress and tradition, in this affecting slice of African life.

Shot in a kind of downbeat poetry, dir. Sissako (BAMAKO) quietly, yet incisively scrutinizes the daily rituals of townsfolk, whose simple, devout way of life is constantly jarred by the invasion of anachronistic Western influences. Still, as muted and underplayed as the film is, the director’s deadpan tenor and rustically beautiful images deliver satisfying touches amidst more somber observations.

NZ International Film Festival 2002