This 96 minutes long narrative feature was directed by Andrew Mudge and is set in Lesotho, South Africa and the USA.
The film opens with a beautiful scenic view of mountainous terrains set against an even more captivating and enchanting sky. The scenery then changes to a busy city; loud, dirty, anything but peaceful and here is where we are introduced to the character of Joseph. Joseph is an angry young man who hangs with the wrong crowd; smoking, drinking, partying and making mischief. Joseph barely goes to visit his old, sick father and when he finally does, he discovers that his father has died while he's been away. We learn that Joseph is actually his christian name, the name that is used from here onwards in the film is Atang, his African name. On learning of the death of his father and his father's wishes of being buried in his ancestral village of Lesotho, Atang reluctantly embarks on a journey that would change his life.
When Atang arrives at his homeland, he meets his childhood friend, Dineo, who is now a lovely, radiant school teacher. Atang falls in love with Dineo, and she becomes central to Atang's journey because through her, Atang takes notice of the true beauty and splendor of Lesotho, the people living, who have all known him when he was just a little boy, to the land he put behind him so long ago and to coming to terms with himself. Atang's journey is one of redemption and transforms him from an angry boy making trouble in the city, to a man of substance.
I must say, this story was beautifully written and the cinematography was excellently done. I enjoyed the film from beginning to end, never was there a dull moment. Not only was the story well written, the actors all gave very convincing performances, portraying their roles exceptionally well. In the film, Atang develops a special friendship with a young orphan boy and this relationship between Atang and this child really stood out to me. I believe that the role this child played in the film significantly added to the strong impact that the film had on audiences. This child's performance was fascinating, deservable of the highest praise. The film explores the people, their culture and the folklore of Lesotho, a place that is not widely known; pretty much forgotten, but without a doubt, deserves to be recognised and appreciated! There is an undeniable mystical quality about this place; the shots of the country's vast natural beauty captivate audiences, leaving everyone spellbound. I can tell that this film was given a lot of thought, it was genuinely touching and left viewers with a lot of positive life lessons. It's definitely a great family movie and I would advise anyone to see it.
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