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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful Story of Solidarity Between Women of Different Cultures, March 15, 2009
This review is from: Lili and the Baobab (DVD)
LILI & THE BAOBAB takes us on a beautiful journey to Senegal where two women, one French, and one Senegalese, will become friends, allies and family for life. We feel we are Lili who leaves the cold shores of the French northern coast to stunningly sunny Senegal. We are thrown in a culture, landscape, lifestyle, and rythm that are so different from what we are accustomed to in the West. No one is judged in this film and no culture is superior to another. Women have an acute sense of solidarity beyond cultures, languages and political situations. A great bonus comes with this film: a 52mn making of with interviews of the crew and cast. Not to be missed by anyone who likes movies made with passion and small budgets (Romane Bohringer is the only professional actress in the film and Chantal Richard, the director, is one of the original founders of the twining between the village and the French city of Cherbourg).
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lili et la Baobab, April 8, 2009
Lili and the Baobab was a very "soft" film that did an excellent job of articulating the issues at hand. By soft, I mean that the movie did not have any excessively dramatic or overbearing scenes. Still, producer Blanche Guichou managed to tell a dynamic story.
I found the relationship between Lili and Aminata (the two main characters, so to speak) very moving; it was one that truly touches the viewer and serves as evidence of the universality of human emotions. In spite of language barriers, the two women form an enduring friendship that would have been incomprehensible for me to imagine prior to watching Lili. Their friendship reaches such a profound level regardless of the fact that they can barely understand each other.
The contrast between the Western world and the more culturally traditional parts of the world is blatant. Color played a significant role in this aspect. During the scenes in Agnam (the village in Senegal), we see an overly yellow and dry tone. As soon as the setting changes to France, the color drastically changes to a heavy green tone and more "moist" colors, if I may. Agnam was geographically portrayed as a dry and boring place - the PEOPLE were the ones who brought color and brightness, especially from their clothing.
Overall, the characters, cinematography, setting, and style of Lili made for a truly moving film with profound cultural references. I would recommend this movie to anyone wishing to see something that makes them think!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lili, April 7, 2009
This review is from: Lili and the Baobab (DVD)
Lili and the Baobab was an interesting film which helped exemplify the connections between the modern western world and the African world. A young French woman who takes it upon herself to help a poor African woman and a poor village. It was an interesting case of how the "white" world could affect the daily goings on in the African world. But it poses a question. Should the white world intervene in the important aspects and cultural beliefs of the African world? Should we have the right to interfere simply because we don't agree with something? Lili and the Baobab explores these questions and presents them in a way that is easily understood by all.
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