A thought experiment: imagine a government run by kids, kids advised by Danny Glover. This would probably be a pretty successful government, although Morgan Freeman would have been my first choice as a political advisor. Bissau-Guinean director Flora Gomes asks audiences to share this fantasy of his for the duration of his film Republica De Mininus (The Children’s Republic).
So how and why did I go about watching a Portuguese film from an obscure country whose name I cannot pronounce?
To answer the how, check out the Romance Languages Department’s page about the Lusophone Film Festival, a film festival devoted to screening contemporary Portuguese films by emerging directors from Portuguese-speaking countries. Screenings are at the Michigan Theater or the UMMA Stern Auditorium on periodic Thursdays at 7:30pm (schedule here).
To answer the why, all I can say is maybe I have a peculiar sense of what constitutes fun. I value the opportunity to see these films because they are not distributed widely, and therefore viewing them is a rare opportunity I may not have again. Moreover, considering Hollywood has owned the global entertainment market for the past 25 odd years, it is becoming increasingly difficult to watch movies from a cultural perspective different than our own.
Republica De Mininus responds to ongoing civil strife within Africa. In the opening minutes, the adult population of a city ravaged by war flees, leaving behind their kids, and earning the group title of worst parents of the century. Absent any adult presence save one old government advisor (Glover), the children must survive and govern on their own, despite their understandable lack of experience running a community. The film asks whether domestic conflict could be solved in a guileless world, run by children without ulterior motives.
The film’s vision is optimistic–depicting a community able to overcome chaos and gratuitous violence through cooperation. There is a catch, however. As long as the children remain in their idyllic city, they are physically unable to grow up. In order to pass through the threshold of adulthood, they must leave the home they have created.
This twist reinforces Gomes’ idea that only pure hearts can live without violence. Although the message is optimistic, Gomes’ optimism falls short of boundlessness. Perhaps as adults, we are doomed to live through violent conflicts. But maybe the idea is that there will always be a new generation of children who haven’t been exposed to manipulation or hatred, who are innocent and earnest enough to reverse the mistakes their parents have made.
Check out a trailer for this movie below. If interested, try looking around on youtube, or contact the Romance Languages department and they may be able to help you find a copy.
