Atlantique (2019)
26KAtlantique: Directed by Mati Diop. With Mame Bineta Sane, Amadou Mbow, Traore, Nicole Sougou. In a popular suburb of Dakar, workers on the construction site of a futuristic tower, without pay for months, decide to leave the country by the ocean for a better future. Among them is Souleiman, the lover of Ada, promised to another.
“A calm, contemplative, unpredictable, immersive u0026amp; quietly hypnotising love story perforated with supernatural elements yet firmly rooted in Senegalu0026#39;s social reality, Mati Diopu0026#39;s debut feature is a silent meditation on love, loss, migration, mortality u0026amp; ghostly interventions that expertly balances the real with the spectral to deliver a cinematic experience thatu0026#39;s as ethereal as it is enigmatic.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWinner of the Grand Prix at last yearu0026#39;s Cannes Film Festival, Atlantics presents its debutant director employing a methodical approach to realise her deftly layered script on screen and her execution is neat u0026amp; sophisticated. Also, her serene touch adds a soothing quality to the images, while unhurried pace provides the viewers ample time to acquaint themselves with its world u0026amp; characters.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHowever, despite the intriguing premise u0026amp; interesting social commentary, Atlantics is unable to make us invest in the romance that unfolds at its centre. Itu0026#39;s supposed to be the main plot yet feels secondary to other things at play, and the characters arenu0026#39;t as compelling as the world they live in. Nevertheless, for a debut effort, it is a polished piece of subdued storytelling that starts Mati Diopu0026#39;s directorial journey on a promising note.”
