OKA! (2011)

71% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
50% of users liked it
(91 ratings)

OKA! is a fish-out-of-water tale of a ethnomusicologist from New Jersey who finds himself immersed in the colorful lives of the Bayake pygmies. Based on the memoir by ethnomusicologist Louis Sarno, who has lived with the pygmies for over 20 years, OKA! transports audiences to the vast forest of the… More OKA! is a fish-out-of-water tale of a ethnomusicologist from New Jersey who finds himself immersed in the colorful lives of the Bayake pygmies. Based on the memoir by ethnomusicologist Louis Sarno, who has lived with the pygmies for over 20 years, OKA! transports audiences to the vast forest of the Central African Republic into the magical world of the Bayaka and lyrically captures their music, dance, humor and exuberance, as well as the harsh realities they endure. -- (C) DADA Films

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: Lavinia Currier
Written By: Lavinia Currier, Louis Sarno, Suzanne Stroh
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Oct 14, 2011 Limited
Studio: Dada Films

Critic Reviews

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
It's a pleasant, if slow-moving, trip down a lazy river.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
The plot is somewhat pedestrian and the dialogue needs more zip.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Oka! is a fascinating movie with many free-form charms.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Yearning for an exciting African adventure? "Oka!" isn't it.
John Anderson, Variety
What's refreshing about Oka! is its aversion to any kind of cliches.
Andy Webster, New York Times
If only for its portrait of a land and a fascinating culture, "Oka!" is worth the journey.
Beth Accomando, KPBS.org
Despite some missteps and awkwardness, Oka! proves compelling and engaging. Currier captures the beauty of the African landscape, and she takes the time to document the Bayaka culture with care and compassion.
Brent Simon, Shockya.com
A unique and fascinating tale of cultural connection, and the elemental nature of various human curiosities that bind us together.
Maitland McDonagh, Film Journal International
Slow to start and rambling when it gets going, Oka! nevertheless offers small pleasures, not least a glimpse of life deep in the African rainforest.
Sara Maria Vizcarrondo, Boxoffice Magazine
OKA!, like the mysterious horn the characters hunt, is a real find.
Kalvin Henely, Slant Magazine
The film somehow feels more fanciful than factual, a rift that's aggravated by the juxtaposition of the real actors' performances and the Bayaka pygmies' at times startling real presence.
Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York
That the filmmaker at least makes a concerted effort to tweak what in most hands would be an offensively whitewashed dark-continent parable is worth some measure of praise.