Jettel Redlich: Tolerance doesn’t mean that everyone is the same. That’d be stupid. What I’ve learned here is how valuable differences are. Differences are good. And intelligent people will never hold it against you.

One recent morning I was channel zapping. Unless it’s a big day of sports (like this coming Saturday) I usually settle upon either The Europa or Film & Arts channel. I genuinely prefer their movies because they are in keeping with my original aim here at Friday’s Finest – the presentation of art-house, independent, foreign and low budget cinema.
I lucked upon finding today’s featured movie Nowhere in Africa. The plot of a German – Jewish family fleeing Germany before the Second World War for Africa intrigued me, so I buckled myself in because it seemed like an epic at least according to its theme and runtime. Unbeknownst to me I was watching the winner of the 2002 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The screenplay is based on the 1995 autobiographical novel of the same name by Stefanie Zweig.

IMDB Storyline:

A Jewish family in Germany emigrate short before the Second World War. They move to Kenya to start running a farm, but not all members of the family come to an arrangement with their new life. Shortly after their departure, things are changing in Germany very quickly, and a turning back seems impossible. So everyone has to arrange himself with the new life in a new continent.

I mentioned ‘epic’ earlier well this stand out German film is a ‘grand epic’ on the scale of Gone With the Wind or Lawrence of Arabia. But where Nowhere in Africa distinguishes itself is in its intimacy and modest characterisation. I found it such an immersive film and one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. I felt as a viewer so consumed and vested in the family and the African culture that I didn’t want the film to end. I was humbled to say the least. Also, I had never really liked the German accent before until hearing it beautifully spoken here in Nowhere in Africa.

The performances are first-rate, too. They are compelling, three-dimensional characters. Julianne Kohler is perfect; we understand this woman fully, even when she doesn’t speak. Merab Ninidze has some great scenes with Walter, the father; and Sidede Onyulo is simply magical as Owuor. But the movie belongs to the two girls who play Regina. They look amazingly similar, and they are both stellar. Lea Kurka brings much hope as the adorable young Regina, and Karoline Eckertz is subtle and remarkable as the older Regina, particularly in a heartbreaking exchange with her father at her school.

I couldn’t recommend Nowhere in Africa more to anyone who wants to partake with their closest ones a unique family-viewing adventure of a grand scope which we used to have growing up like The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz or Spartacus.

References:
1. Nowhere in Africa – Wikipedia
2. Nowhere in Africa – IMDB