JAMESON DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

FRIDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
JAMESON DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2014
MOTHER OF GEORGE
This visually sumptuous drama finds a young
Nigerian-American woman struggling to reconcile a
new life and marriage in New York with the traditions
of her homeland.
‘visually splendid’
The New York Times
Fri 14 Feb / Light House 3 / 4.20pm / 106 minutes
Director: Andrew Dosunmu 2013 US
Writer: Darci Picoult
Cast: Danai Gurira, Isaach De Bankolé, Yaya Alafia
THE MILITANT
EL LUGAR DEL HIJO
Acclaimed photographer-turned-director Andrew
Dosunmu’s film opens with a heady rush of the sights
and sounds of a vibrant, traditional Yoruba wedding.
Ayodele (Isaach De Bankolé) and Adenike (The
Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira) are being married, and
only after the ceremony is it apparent that the event
is taking place not in Nigeria, but in Brooklyn. A recent
immigrant, Adenike soon discovers her new life is still
dictated by the ways of her homeland, where wives
are expected to conceive children, specifically boys,
without delay. Months pass and, much to the chagrin
of her domineering mother-in-law, Adenike doesn’t
get pregnant. As the pressure mounts she makes a
desperate decision, one that might save her marriage
or tear it apart.
Mother of George is a remarkable achievement for
Dosunmu. Darci Picoult’s script is rich with detail
and life, beautifully captured in award-winning
cinematographer Bradford Young’s images. Together,
the three have crafted an emotional, immersive
experience that is a marvel from start to end.
Philadelphia Film Festival
Manuel Nieto Zas’ ironically-titled The Militant filters
its reflection on political stagnation through a single,
remarkable central character. The result is a powerful
and thought-provoking film.
The film is set in 2002, when Uruguay was
undergoing strikes and the universities had effectively
closed down. 25-year-old Ariel Cruz, played by
non-professional Felipe Dieste, is called away from
a students’ union meeting to learn that his father has
died. Ariel heads for his home town of Salto for the
funeral. He meets his father’s partner Selva (Rossana
Cabrera), gets involved with the local students’ union,
and finds a little romantic interest with Nadia
(Leonor Courtoisie).
Fri 14 Feb / Light House 3 / 6.30pm / 121 minutes
Writer-director: Manolo Nieto 2013 Uruguay
Cast: Felipe Dieste, Rossana Cabrera, Leonor Courtoisie
Frustrated by the inability of the protesting students
to do anything except go round in verbal circles,
smoke weed and have parties, Ariel joins a hunger
strike by protesting meat packers, which for the first
time exposes him to the sharp end of economic
hardship. It’s a comic, fish-out-of-water setup, but far
more urgent themes are bubbling under the surface
as Ariel ambles in apparent bafflement from one
awkward situation to the next.
Jonathan Holland
The Hollywood Reporter
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