Jean-Marc Phaneuf, an unmarried electrical engineer, travels to Burundi as a volunteer for the NGO Radio du Monde. He finds a country ruined by grinding poverty, famine, war, disease and appalling social inequality. At the same time, he meets a joyful, brave people hungry for happiness, knowledge and human dignity. The camera that becomes his personal diary also helps Jean-Marc expose the shaky, ineffective workings of NGOs. His investigations turn up a few praiseworthy examples of international cooperation, but on the whole he finds himself drawn to a terrible, inescapable conclusion: humanitarian aid is a utopian mirage. After falling victim to an attack and losing whatever ideals he still had, Jean-Marc becomes entangled in an impossible relationship. He is ultimately forced to leave Africa in disgrace.
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Admirable film.
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
From knowing people who did cooperation, or reading books like "Noir Canada: pillage et corruption en Afrique" or watching documentaries like "France Afrique" (by Patrick Benquet), I can say that the portrayal of international cooperation depicted in this movie is very very close to reality: the aid made to look good on paper but maladaptive or even counterproductive on the ground, the corruption, the "linking" of aid, for example: "our agency is gonna build you a road and a school and a dispensary, just give this company the exclusive mining rights of your region (worth tens, even hundreds of millions) and get those local miners out of the way".At first I was wandering the point of the subplot near the end when the main character tries to seduce and then abuses his cook's 13 yo daughter (pretty creepy), but then I taught it's a metaphor or parable of international aid: we may rationalize our actions even delude ourselves in thinking we're righteous but the real motives are self-serving and darker.This film is not a feel good, happy end, pop corn movie: the subject is not a happy one and you have to stay focus to catch all the details (and there are many of them, I probably missed some) the acting is incredible (if I didn't knew, I'd taught I was watching a real video journal), for once the African characters are not depicted in a shallow, stereotyped or pitiful way, some scenes are beautiful, some are very uncomfortable (especially because of their realism). On the whole it's a very interesting movie, definitely worth watching if you're interested in those subjects or want to see a glimpse at what's really going on in Africa.
The movie is ostensibly the video journal of an NGO worker's trip to Africa. It is a blow by blow account, much like home vacation movies, full of shots of colourful markets and hordes of kids. He lives in relative luxury with his own house, a pool and three servants. The story gradually morphs into the tale of slow seduction of the 13 year old granddaughter of his cook. Grandma seems quite clueless as to what is going on. He uses ever more expensive gifts to put her in his obligation. This is quite creepy. It seems odd such a tale would be camouflaged as a documentary about what is like to work for an NGO. I was surprised to see in the credits the lead was played by an actor. I thought it was an autobiography documentary with real people.
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