Jamie passion and passionfruit!

Yesterday I could not write about this film.  This first ever film in Zulu about the plight of a mother in South Africa with HIV is a spare sad tale, hauntingly beautiful and evidence of the hopelessness of many lives there.  I notice that while Nelson Mandela and many other African names have lauded the movie, critics have been less than praiseworthy.  The problem is that we are in the realm of social conscious movies and they do end up being tear-jerkers.  You can`t expect the same sort of film making auteurship when the point is to tell the story straight.  Maybe there are melodramatic scenes like the dying husband staggering to his cabin out of the village but the drama and misery is no doubt part of their daily lives.  I thought the acting in this part was superb.  Are the critics just squeamish when they criticise this?  Perhaps these films like 'El Cielito' can`t be judged against others.  In some cases it is enough that the tale be told and that the public be reminded of what is happening to others.  Speaking of which, the cinema was almost empty when I saw this and Hotel Rwanda has not had a release here - where is Africa in the consciences of the Argentines?

www.yesterdaythemovie.co.za