A couple of years ago, Gerardo
Olivares filmed an incredible drama depicting the hardship and determination of
three young people from central African who depart for Europe
in search of a better life. They eventually get stranded in the desert with
little hope of survival. Buba (Adoum Moussa) is an auto mechanic who lives with
his brother Mukela (Illiassou Mahamadou Alzouma) in a poor village in Niger.
As Buba is a talented soccer player, they decide to travel to Spain, where Buba might play professionally. They pay a smuggler $1,000 each
for passage in the back of a truck headed for Algeria,
where, they are told, they can find safe passage to Spain. En route, Buba and Mukela
meet Violeta (Aminata Kanta), a teenage girl from Mali who is escaping an arranged
marriage to an old man she hates. During the trip into Algeria, the
three begin to have doubts about the smugglers, and their fears become reality
when they're dumped in the desert fourteen kilometers from their destination. Buba,
Mukela and Violeta are told they're only four hours from their destination on
foot, but with no compass, they get hopelessly lost in the sandy plains with no
idea of how to make their way to civilization. But with the help of Tuareg
horsemen and unbelievable luck and courage, two of the travellers are able to
push on.
As one reviewer commented,
this film pays tribute to the bravery of many Africans who venture to Europe. It is also incredibly
moving.
4 comments:
In 2205 I dedicated an Exhibition of 100 paintings to the issue of migration. I then tried to walk along the Africans who had decided to seek a better world into the sea of hope, I wanted to see how they crossed the desert, backpacks chose them, and took things into, whom he met, who were walking together. An I, with my brushes! but with a little bit pity, what it means to suffer with... (them). There, desert animals sick as themselves, and... stranded on the sand, boats, waiting for. I was there! as a silent witness and invisible, I wanted to know what is the color of Africa, smell, the pain of sun, that animist prayers prayed, and... what else, indeed!
14 km
The movie you speak of, can be seen in our cinema? poster image brings me some memories.
Thank you for choosing a topic so close.
Juan Marqués
I meant 2005 of course, excuse
Dear Juan
Your 100-painting project sounds interesting. I would love to see the results.
The film 14 Kilometros is available for loan from the Las Palmas central library in San Telmo, near the bus station. Like you, the director Olivares tries to portray the human side of migration and provides many endearing details about this daring venture. The great desert sandscapes, the overloaded caravan, the lonely border guard, the hopes and fears, the desperation and the undying hope. Thank you for your insights and wisdom. Best wishes, David
Juan
By the way, you may want to bring in a memory stick with some of your work to class. We could share the paintings with the other students. Thanks, David
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