Akasha (2018 film) explained

aKasha
Director:	Hajooj Kuka
Producer:	Hajooj Kuka Steven Markovitz
Starring:	Ekram Marcus Kamal Ramadan Mohamed Chakado
Music:	Nancy Mounir Alsarah
Cinematography:	Giovanni P. Autran Hajooj Kuka
Editing:	Hajooj Kuka
Studio:	Big World Cinema Refugee Club Komplizen Film
Runtime:	78 minutes
Country:	Sudan South Africa Qatar Germany
Language:	Arabic

Akasha (stylized as aKasha;) is a 2018 Sudanese comedic film written and directed by Hajooj Kuka about a Sudanese soldier caught between his love for his girlfriend and his AK-47. Kuka previously directed several documentaries. Akasha is his first narrative film and premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2018.

Plot

Adnan has earned time off from his duty as a revolutionary soldier for shooting down a MiG fighter plane, and now professes his love to the AK-47 responsible for the shot, naming the gun Nancy. His girlfriend Lina is not happy about this other love, so she kicks him out. Over the next 24 hours, his commander tries to round up all the deserters, and Adnan concocts a series of plans to retrieve Nancy, which he accidentally left in Lina's house. Along the way he's aided by another deserter, Absi, who believes in pacifism.^[1] ^[2]

Cast

Kamal Ramadan as Adnan
Ekram Marcus as Lina
Mohamed Chakado as Absi
Abdallah Alnur as Blues

Production

Kuka met two of the lead actors, Mohamed Chakado and Kamal Ramadan, while teaching drama at a local youth centre, and decided to cast them in the film.^[3] He cast Ekram Marcus to play Lina because she is so similar to the character: choosing to pursue education rather than get married.^[4]

Release

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2018, and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Two of the actors, Kamal Ramadan and Mohamed Chakado, could not attend the festivals because Uganda refused to allow their departure while awaiting their refugee status papers. The film also screened at the Africa in Motion festival in Edinburgh.^[5]

Reception

aKasha received mixed reviews. Alvise Mainardi of Non Solo Cinema wrote that even though the low budget is evident, it's hard not to like it.^[6] Martina Barone of Cinematographe felt that while the actors' performances often drag down the quality of the film, this debut shows that the director has a talent for film-making.^[7]

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Shiri . Keith . Don't miss! Four films for Thursday 11 October . British Film Institute . 11 October 2018 . 31 August 2019 .
Web site: Agarwal . Manish . Three to see at LFF if you like... African films . British Film Institute . 8 October 2018 . 31 August 2019 .
Web site: Venice: Two Refugee Sudanese Actors Unable to Attend Film Premiere . Vourlias . Christopher . 29 August 2018 . Variety . 1 October 2018 .
'Suddenly you have to run for your life': a film-maker's take on life in Sudan . Stephens, Danielle (producer) . . 21 November 2018 . podcast . 1 September 2019 . 14:54.
Web site: Africa in Motion Film Festival 26 October to 4 November 2018 . Stephen . Phyllis . 25 September 2018 . The Edinburgh Reporter . 1 October 2018.
Web site: "aKasha" di Hajooj Kuka . Mainardi . Alvise . 31 August 2018 . NonSoloCinema . Italian . 1 October 2018 . Il budget rimane risicato, e talvolta nell’opera ben si nota questa caratteristica, ma il lavoro che riesce a imbastire pur con tutti i suoi difetti è difficile da disprezzare, vuoi per lo sguardo ironico con cui affronta un tema complesso, vuoi per l’assoluta mancanza di retorica..
Web site: Venezia 75 – aKasha (The Roundup): recensione . Barone . Martina . 2 September 2018 . Cinematographe . FilmIsNow . Italian . 1 October 2018 . Un film decisamente semplice in cui purtroppo gli attori non contribuiscono ad alzare il livello della prestazione generale dell’opera e anzi, a volte, sembrano addirittura abbassare ancora di più il livello qualitativo del tutto. Di certo un tentativo di cinema contemporaneo che mostra la conoscenza delle dinamiche della narrazione, non sapendole però utilizzare al loro meglio, creando un film ingenuo, ma che presenta le abilità di questo aspirante regista..