I saw Maangamizi at the Film Archives in New York on 12-1-01 during the African Diaspora Film Festival.
The film is visually spectacular and the storyline is even more timely in wake of the 9-11-01 terrorist attacks. It deals with mental illness and how modern medicine and traditional African healing collide. Healing and forgiveness are also some of the topics touched in this film. It's a side of Africa that has been rarely seen or even touched in a feature film.
Samehe (Amandina Lihamba) a middle aged patient in a Tanzanian Mental Institution, hasn't spoken a word in twenty years. We soon find out that its because she witnessed the brutal murder of her mother as a child. But do the hospital staff know this? They don't... and neither do they care. The patients are drugged up most of the time.
Along comes Dr. Asira (BarbaraO) an African American doctor who has taken up an appointment there. We find out that she and one of the institutions doctor's Dr. Odhiambo were friends/lovers when they were medical students in America. Dr. Asira tries to connect with Samehe and finds obstacles along the way. Among them is womanizing Dr. Moshi, head of the institution and an ever faithful to procedure head nurse, Nurse Malika. Dr. Moshi is extremely jealous of the relationship between Dr. Asira and Dr. Odhiambo.
A spirit (The Ancient One) continuosly appears to Samehe. Soon she breaks out of the institution and the spirit helps her speak again through confronting the problems of her past. When Samehe is found everyone is shocked that she can now speak. Dr. Asira tries to get to the bottom of everything and finds that she must now confront her own past. The two women bond and soon they are on their way to the holy mountain (Mt. Kilimanjaro) for a ritual to complete the healing process.
Maangamizi makes us realize the effect that Westernization has had on African culture. The African cast does a marvelous job. The film was entirely shot on location in Tanzania. It's a movie that must be seen to be truly appreciated. Their website is www.grisgrisfilms.com.
The film is visually spectacular and the storyline is even more timely in wake of the 9-11-01 terrorist attacks. It deals with mental illness and how modern medicine and traditional African healing collide. Healing and forgiveness are also some of the topics touched in this film. It's a side of Africa that has been rarely seen or even touched in a feature film.
Samehe (Amandina Lihamba) a middle aged patient in a Tanzanian Mental Institution, hasn't spoken a word in twenty years. We soon find out that its because she witnessed the brutal murder of her mother as a child. But do the hospital staff know this? They don't... and neither do they care. The patients are drugged up most of the time.
Along comes Dr. Asira (BarbaraO) an African American doctor who has taken up an appointment there. We find out that she and one of the institutions doctor's Dr. Odhiambo were friends/lovers when they were medical students in America. Dr. Asira tries to connect with Samehe and finds obstacles along the way. Among them is womanizing Dr. Moshi, head of the institution and an ever faithful to procedure head nurse, Nurse Malika. Dr. Moshi is extremely jealous of the relationship between Dr. Asira and Dr. Odhiambo.
A spirit (The Ancient One) continuosly appears to Samehe. Soon she breaks out of the institution and the spirit helps her speak again through confronting the problems of her past. When Samehe is found everyone is shocked that she can now speak. Dr. Asira tries to get to the bottom of everything and finds that she must now confront her own past. The two women bond and soon they are on their way to the holy mountain (Mt. Kilimanjaro) for a ritual to complete the healing process.
Maangamizi makes us realize the effect that Westernization has had on African culture. The African cast does a marvelous job. The film was entirely shot on location in Tanzania. It's a movie that must be seen to be truly appreciated. Their website is www.grisgrisfilms.com.