Dreams and nightmare
(Click images to see large versions)
Africa United is essentially a story of children's dreams. Fabrice dreams to be a professional footballer; Beatrice dreams to be a doctor; Celeste dreams to be free of men's oppression. As they journey across the continent, their dreams drive them forward. Along the way, however, they encounter some nightmarish episodes that act as a reminder of the harsher realities of African life: a refugee camp; child prostitution; violent bandits; fears of HIV infection.
Image 1
This image shows Fabrice being chased by children in an unfamiliar village.
- How has the filmmaker shown Fabrice to be an outsider in this scene? Think about the use of costume, colour, focus and positioning.
- What do you think might be the significance of Fabrice holding the briefcase?
- How does this image compare to other representations you may have seen of African children?
Image 2
This image comes from near the end of the film. The children have reached the South African border which is fenced with barbed wire.
- How is the relationship between the children being presented in this shot?
- How important is body language, facial expression and framing in this image?
- What do you think the children are responding to? Do the characters in the background give any clues?
- Do you think this is a moment of joy or fear? Explain your answer.