Farewell Amor, the debut by Tanzanian-American Ekwa Msangi who is also a writer and a producer, is top on the list of the best movies I´ve watched this year.
Reunited after 17 years, separated by the Angolan war and the immigration of the father to America, the family of three is together again. The long years of separation changed everyone, but love unites them. The accomodation doesn´t go always smoothly, but they are trying to write a new story of life and love, starting with what unites them: dancing.
It´s a relatively easy story, but it concentrates enough human tension, love and longing to keep you interested during the whole duration of the movie. Each and every one of the characters are challenged to cope with their own shortcomings and small or big betrayals, to reponder their relationship and validate what keeps them together. Do the roots planted in this relationship that resisted 17 years without a direct physical contact keep them together once reunited in America? Are values stronger than the disparate feelings?
Farewell Amor is a beautiful story of human resilience and fragility, played simply yet genuinely by the actors. One may not (always) need big events and dramatic encounters to raise the interest. Often, everyday life stories are more than enough to beg a return to the intensity of human life.
The movie was released this year at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie is available on MUBI, I have access to for free via my scribd subscription.
Rating: 4.5 stars
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