AMINATA: A film of convenience

By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)

A line up of the cast at the Film's Premier

Perhaps the greatest plus point of Jimmy Bangura’s latest film‘Aminata’ is its star-studded cast.

How the local music icon cum actor/producer/director was able to bring together such high-profile Sierra Leonean actors- -Dr Julius Spencer, Desmond Finney, Miatta French, Ernest Brewah, Dennis Nelson-Streeter, Mohamed Bobson Kamara, Muctar Tejan Cole and Diana Doherty- to cast in ‘Aminata’ is still a puzzle to me.

But when you assemble such a galaxy of stars in one film, the expectations become high. You expect a block-buster or Box-Office hit as they say in Hollywood.

However, films with a massive involvement of stars usually produce convenience rather than the desired impact.

‘Aminata’ is incidentally not Jimmy’s first attempt at film production. Way back there when he was in America, he got his first experience with the big screen when he featured as an extra in ‘Coming to America’ which stars Eddie Murphy. Back home he has recently produced several films combining Sierra Leonean casts with Nigerians. His first two films are subject-driven: ‘Live and let live’ is about HIV/AIDS, ‘Only for love’ is about land grabbing in Africa; while his third, ‘Eagle Eyes’, is purely an entertaining movie, preferably an action thriller. In all three Jimmy B stars himself.

By contrast ‘Aminata’ is Jimmy’s first all-Sierra Leonean movie, which tries to portray the calamity of a girl child growing up in the remotest of rural Sierra Leone (Part 1) and what she can achieve if given the opportunity (Part 2).

Apparently you can see the Nigerian influence, as a result of Jimmy’s previous collaboration with Nigerian film makers, throughout the film.

Story (Part I)

The film revolves around Aminata (Aissatou Bah), a young girl who is unfortunate to be born in a typical African village where girls are nothing but slaves.They don’t go to school and they are forced into early marriages.

But Aminata is different. She wants to go to school and she wants to choose her own husband when it is time to do so. And in Philip, she gets the right boyfriend who finds time to give her lessons in English.

So even when she is forced to become the 19^th wife of the ruthless village Chief Adikali Momoh III, Aminata knows this is not her rightful place. She uses her exuberant young feminine body to lure the chief’s bodyguards into a quarrel, over who shall lay her first, in order to escape and set herself on a long travel to the big city, where she will eventually realize her dreams.

The story line is impressive until it enters Part II, where the viewer is given a huge assignment to literary read between too many lines. We see Aminata petty trading along what looks like a deserted street in the city and is so unconvincingly hit by a couple riding comfortably in a jeep. The couple, who later become Aminata’s adopted parents, take her to the hospital where the young girl gives birth to the son of Chief Adikali, whose pregnancy she has been carrying during her escape. We find out from Aminata that Chief Adikali raped her.

During all these, you may wonder what has been happening to Aminata’s boyfriend, Philip, and her parents back in the village. Well, the last time we see Aminata’s real parents is when the Chief, and his bodyguards, stormed their hut in a desperate search for Aminata; and the last time we see Philip is when he is rescued by a herbalist living alone in some bush after a thorough beating by the guards left him (Philip) unconscious.

Here Aissatou’s role as Aminata ends! Fast forward 21 years and we see Diana Doherty as the grown up Aminata- unmarried, a successful lawyer; and her 21 year-old son who is trying to come to terms with all the scary stories he is hearing from his mother about his father. Then the movie moves on with more haste and more speed. From a telephone dialogue (we never see Aminata the lawyer in court) we learn that Aminata has prosecuted Chief Adikali and sent him to jail. Now her son prepares to go back to the village to take over the throne after his father. Suddenly Aminata’s parents arrive in the city in their daughter’s parlour looking much the same as 21 years ago.

Moving faster, we are at the crowning ceremoy in Ropolon village; drumming and dancing; the bad men who were once Chief Adikali closest aides giving the sacred responsibility of inaugurating the new Chief.

And from nowhere Jimmy B appears at the ceremony; disembarks from his jeep in slow motion... As Aminata rushes to meet him, we get the point: oh this must be Philip! Wow! This is breathtaking… The End!

Cast

The two Aminatas, in exhibiting their roles, are excellent. The first Aminata (Aissatou Bah) is innocent and convincing in front of the camera. For a debutant, that’s very promising. She outshines everyone in the cast.

The choice of Aminata II (Diana Doherty) is commendable. She is equally convincing in looks and deliverance.

Pa Kelfala, Aminata’s father- played by deputy Mayor Mohamed Bobson Kamara, reminds me of the famous character they call Sam Loko in many Nigerian films. That should tell how excellent he is.

Chief Adikali Momoh II the dictator, played by broadcaster Muctaru Tejan Cole, does not have to emphasise his baritone voice to be commanding and audacious. Other than that he executed well as the villain.

Miatta French, who acts as Aminata’s mother, fairly exemplifies the average traditional Sierra Leonean mother.

As for Ernest Brewah and Dennis Nelson-Streeter, Chief Adikali’s closest aides, I have mixed feelings. I love comedy, but I think they undermined Chief Adikali’s ruthlessness by an overdose of comedy. When you take theater acting into the big screen, it got to be more real.

Philip; he’s also promising.

Production

The production in its entirety- cinematography, sound, lighting, screen play, editing and scenes- is fairly good. But it’s apparent we need more technical ability to achieve quality.

‘Aminata’ is nonetheless another big step in the direction to what has already been coined as Sollywood.