Red-125
The Chadian film Un homme qui crie was shown in the U.S. with the translated title A Screaming Man (2010). The movie was written and directed by the Chadian filmmaker Mahamat-Saleh HarounYoussouf Djaoro portrays Adam Ousmane, who is called "Champion." When he was younger, he won the Central African swimming championship, and the name has stayed with him. His son, Abdel Ousmane (Diouc Koma) works with his father in a high-end hotel in the nation's capital. Both of them work at the hotel's swimming pool, where Adam is respected, and Abdel is adored by everyone because of his good looks and his easy-going manner.This movie reminded me of a Greek tragedy. That's not because the father and son come into unwilling conflict, but because Adam has to make a choice between two terrible options. How can you do the right thing if either path you choose is the wrong path? When there are two compelling demands, and each precludes the other, what happens to the protagonist?Adam is caught in just such a situation. There's a war going on, and the local political boss demands payment to the government. Adam, although not poor, doesn't have the money to make the payment. What are his options?This movie is worth seeing on its own merits. That fact that it's from Chad makes it even more important to view it. If I counted correctly, less than a dozen films have been made in Chad. The superb Dryden Theatre at The Eastman Museum in Rochester is showing five of these movies as part of a Mahamat-Saleh Haroun retrospective. My compliments to the Dryden for giving us the opportunity to see these movies on the large screen. (Some of Haroun's films are available for the small screen, but some are not.) Seeing these movies on the large screen was truly a privilege. Un homme qui crie is a great film--see it if you can. P.S. Even with the resources of the Eastman Museum, a print of Haroun's "Bye Bye Africa" couldn't be located. If you know someone who has a print of that movie, please notify the Dryden Theatre.
magilroy
A Screaming Man, directed by Mahamat Saleh Haroun, depicts the struggles of a Chadian man during the recent Civil War. Adam, commonly referred to as "Champ", is a Chadian father who works at a pool for the local hotel with his son, Abdel. Almost immediately into the movie, Champ is approached by the management of the hotel and asked if the pool tending is a one-man job. Eventually, his son takes over the job per the hotel management's directions, and Champ is forced to be a gatekeeper thus taking his friend's job. Later, Abdel is drafted into the army to fight for the Civil War; this lets Champ regain his job at the pool. Then, due to the problems from the war and the hysteria it created, Champ is the only worker who shows up to the hotel to work. Another plot twist occurs when a mysterious girl who we later find out is Abdel's girlfriend of one year, appears at Champ's house. While learning of his new daughter, Champ develops a plan to help steal his son from the army. Champ then executes his plan, and he steals Abdel from the frontlines and drives him back to the house. Eventually, Abdel dies from wounds and tells his father to float him down a river. Throughout the movie, silence during scenes is use to help further emotions and maybe even drive anticipation. This part of the movie makes the movie where slow and boring. I would not recommend this movie to those who are not accustomed to slow, un American movies. This movie really opened my eyes to the different varieties of movies out in the world as I have never watched a movie that utilizes silence so often.
MartinHafer
"A Screaming Man" ("Un homme qui crie") was a frustrating film to watch. There was so much potential but the film failed to exploit this throughout. And, while I would recommend you see it, it's the sort of film that most folks simply wouldn't sit through and SHOULD have been better.The movie is set in Chad. It appears to be sometime around the present day, though this is uncertain--as civil wars have been going on in the country off and on for decades and WHICH one this is isn't explained. This isn't really a problem--just go with it. The story centers around an older man nicknamed 'Champ', as he was a Central African swimming champion back in the 1960s. His job since has been to work as a pool attendant at a resort in his country. While to Westerners this might seem like a dull or unimportant job, it was everything to Champ--stability and a sense of importance. And when his boss began firing and rearranging things at the resort, Champ is panicked when they decide to have Champ's son take over the job alone (they'd both been working together) and move Champ to the job of gate keeper. What Champ does to cope with this is fascinating and makes for an interesting twist, but unfortunately though MOST of the film, Champ just keeps silent and broods. There is almost no visible emotion at all--just brooding and silence. And, after a while, the film gets VERY difficult to continue watching because of this. However, if you've invested this much time in the film, keep watching--the ending, though very sad, does tie everything together well. My overall verdict is that with more energy and life, this could have been an amazingly good film. Now, however, it's interesting to very patient folks only--which is sad, as we never get to see films about Chad and its people.
Tim Kidner
I saw this on Film 4, late. The premise is a little different and my policy to watch every World Cinema offering that is aired for free had me quite keen for this French funded (& spoken) film from Chad.It's not every day that the star character is a 60 year old former national swimming champion, who's now more than happy - and resolutely proud - of his job as pool attendant at a posh, luxury hotel. But, as civil war slowly envelopes both the country and the film, it is Adam's (aka "The Champ") son, Abdel, who is causing turmoil for his father.As it's noticed by the foreign hotel owner/managers that Adam is taking things more leisurely these days and he gets shuffled over to gate duty, dolled up in a starched uniform, his son gets his old job. This naturally causes ripples and resentment that go beyond the Hotel.This beautifully shot movie from director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun is more observational than it is about making statements and stuffing opinion down on us. The story and the characters unfold naturally; we can take it at the steady pace that it is set and enjoy it as such. Or, you can really dig yourself deep within the different culture and attitudes to status, relationships, Imperialism and War and soak it all up. I hope to do the latter when I watch it again via the recording I made of it.However, it is the final 15, 20 minutes that turn this drama into something much more profound and moving. I promise you, you will change your seated position, clear your throat and maybe inwardly murmur something to yourself as you sense a change of the overall stature is increased.I'm not saying that A Screaming Man has to be seen by everybody or that it is the best Foreign language film of that year. It's different enough to get noticed, is topical without trying TOO hard and we are rewarded with a final chapter that is undoubtedly emotionally very moving. That's not a bad combination....
AD
