When I was invited to a special screening of Sleepwalking Land, I was familiar with the novel by Mia Couto, but very much doubting the capacity of any filmmaker to represent and enact not only the structure and events of the book, but most importantly, the sense of time and space transposition that embodied, the feeling of living that same journey as the characters, to be placed in the same shoes. Fortunately, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's not that the film is a work of art, in any such way, but it does exactly what is required of a book adaptation, it transcends the mediums and carries exactly the message and feeling of the book. A quest for survival in a land ravaged by war, hiding underneath the true nature of this journey, a self discovery of perception and place in the world of the 20th century man, to find a place for peace when we're lost in time. I don't think I will forget the moment the old man, an amateur actor as the rest, is first participation in a feature film, but a solid one, the moment when he recalls his days as a train worker, acting with his imagination, relaying to the boy a glimpse of his past life. The movie is just about that, whether or not one should hold on to his past, to what was left behind, or if one should start anew, to rise from the ashes, in this case, the journey leads one to his place of birth, his womb, we're he will be born again. Although the acting might be sub par at times, due to the fact that the cast was mostly untrained actors, amateurs, it doesn't really damage the film, but it can make it seems sometime constricted. The most compelling aspect is definitely the background, the sets, filmed in natural settings, it creates a very enduring perception of time and space. In conclusion, it is a very special little film, simple but powerful, holds it's greater qualities by being so humble and so true to the source material. A strong portrait of war torn Africa and the search for one's place in the world. Highly recommended and a new breeze in Portuguese cinema, a must see.
Review of Sleepwalking Land
