Talented footballing teenager Fabrice and genial rotund Dudu are friends in the same small Rwandan town, although Fabrice is privileged and Dudu is a shanty dweller. Together with Dudu's younger sister Beatrice they set off for a pre-World Cup trial for Fabrice in Kigali, take the wrong bus, and end up trying to make their own way to the World Cup in South Africa, picking up escaped child terrorist Foreman George and captive teen "waitress" Celeste on the way.
This rather slight film doesn't bear examining too closely, or else much of its narrative credibility falls to pieces rather easily. But it doesn't need close examination, because the things which matter about it hold true irrespective of plot holes and logic flaws.
At its heart is the various relationships between these kids. The 5 untried child actors are not only all excellent, but are able to clearly show how they, and the various relationships between them, change and grow throughout the film's length. In particular, Yves Dusenge as Foreman George, shows us a good hearted youngster who is haunted by the things he has witnessed and taken part in, and who perhaps gets most benefit (in an understated way) from the growing friendships within the group.
Africa is, as always, spectacular. The film successfully shows us both its beauty and something of its ugly underside and, to its credit, it neither shies away nor beats us over the head with it. Issues like AIDS and child terrorism are met matter-of-factly.
This small but joyful movie was very welcome because it gave me something rather different to the usual cinema fare, and well rewarded the time I spent in the company of these young African people.
This rather slight film doesn't bear examining too closely, or else much of its narrative credibility falls to pieces rather easily. But it doesn't need close examination, because the things which matter about it hold true irrespective of plot holes and logic flaws.
At its heart is the various relationships between these kids. The 5 untried child actors are not only all excellent, but are able to clearly show how they, and the various relationships between them, change and grow throughout the film's length. In particular, Yves Dusenge as Foreman George, shows us a good hearted youngster who is haunted by the things he has witnessed and taken part in, and who perhaps gets most benefit (in an understated way) from the growing friendships within the group.
Africa is, as always, spectacular. The film successfully shows us both its beauty and something of its ugly underside and, to its credit, it neither shies away nor beats us over the head with it. Issues like AIDS and child terrorism are met matter-of-factly.
This small but joyful movie was very welcome because it gave me something rather different to the usual cinema fare, and well rewarded the time I spent in the company of these young African people.