Mama Africa (2002)
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44% of critics liked it
(9 reviews) -
67% of users liked it
(915 ratings)
Mama Africa, hosted by rapper/actress Queen Latifah, combines three short films, directed by African women, telling tales of misguided youth in contemporary Africa. In Uno's World, from Namibia and directed by Bridget Pickering, Uno (Sophie David), a sexually inexperienced young woman, gets… More Mama Africa, hosted by rapper/actress Queen Latifah, combines three short films, directed by African women, telling tales of misguided youth in contemporary Africa. In Uno's World, from Namibia and directed by Bridget Pickering, Uno (Sophie David), a sexually inexperienced young woman, gets involved with a womanizer, Kaura (Muhindua Kaura), which leads to an unplanned pregnancy. When Kaura refuses to take responsibility for their child, and starts avoiding Uno, she leaves the baby in the care of her mother and goes to dangerous lengths to track Kaura down. In Hang Time, from Nigerian filmmaker Ngozi Onwurah (Welcome II the Terrordome), Kwame (Brian Biragi), a talented basketball player, in desperate need of a new pair of sneakers, and nervous about the imminent arrival of a basketball scout from America, decides to do a job for a slick-talking local gangster, Olu (Brian Bovell), to make some quick cash. The last film of the trilogy, Raya, comes from South Africa and was directed by Zulfah Otto-Sallies. The title character (Rehane Abrahams) is a smart but troubled young woman who has just been released from prison after several years. Raya goes to the home of her mother, Salaama (Denise Newman), a devout Muslim, who has been taking care of Raya's daughter, Madeegah (Ayesha Meer Krige). An independent modern woman unable to live by her mother's rules, Raya takes Madeegah away, telling Salaama, "You're not going to keep her under a veil all her life." But when Raya finds herself unable to get a job because of her criminal record, she's tempted to return to crime to provide for her daughter. These three 26-minute films were selected from a longer program of six such films produced by the African companies Zimmedia and M-Net. All three films are in English. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Directed By
- Fanta Régina Nacro, Zulfah Otto Sallies
- Written By
- Bridget Pickering, Ngozi Onwurah, Zulfah Otto-Sallies, Henrietta Rose-Innes, Brian Tilley
- Genres
- Documentary, Drama, Art House & International
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jun 7, 2002 Wide
- Studio
- Wellspring
Critic Reviews
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Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
It understands, in a way that speaks forcefully enough about the mechanisms of poverty to transcend the rather simplistic filmmaking.
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Gene Seymour, Newsday
Mama Africa pretty much delivers on that promise. It does give you a peek. The main problem being that it's only a peek.
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V.A. Musetto, New York Post
A worthy idea, but the uninspired scripts, acting and direction never rise above the level of an after-school TV special.
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Stephen Holden, New York Times
The warnings to resist temptation in this film ... are blunt and challenging and offer no easy rewards for staying clean.
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Marshall Fine, Journal News (Westchester, NY)
Well-intentioned though it may be, its soap-opera morality tales have the antiseptic, preprogrammed feel of an after-school special.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Brian Bovell
as Olu
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Queen Latifah
as Host
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Denise Newman
as Salaama
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Muhindua Kaura
as Kaura
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Sophie David
as Uno
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Brian Biragi
as Kwame
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Rehane Abrahams
as Raya
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Ayesha Meer Krige
as Madeegah
