Life, Above All

REVIEWED BY ERIC JONES

Germany, South Africa. 2010. 105 min.
Director: Oliver Schmitz
Production Company: Bavaria Film International
Principle Cast: Khomotso Manyaka, Lerato Mvelase, Harriet Manamela

After learning about the subject matter of Oliver Schmitz’s Life, Above All, one may be inclined to relegate it as another typical film concerning the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa; that this movie will get lost in the many portrayals of the disease’s effects upon a seemingly naive, tribal population. But Life, Above All does so much more and dives far deeper than that. With brilliant acting and dynamic directing, it encapsulates the deep intricacies of AIDS, an unspoken taboo, its disparaging guilt attached to the infected, and its contingent impact on life and death, but “life above all.”

I can honestly say that I was not expecting a film to disrupt my preconceptions and awaken my social understanding in the way that this breath-taking tale of heroics did. And every moment, every word or absence of dialogue, and every song contributes to the overall strength and depth of emotions that the movie not only evokes, but also forces the audience to feel and experience. Not too many films can do this and do it well. In addition, the acting performances of relative unknowns Khomotso Manyaka, Lerato Mvelase, and Harriet Manamela allow viewers a glimpse into a contemporary crisis; moviegoers are left with a lasting, indelible message about real life people through watching on screen actors/actresses.

Set in a small farming town in South Africa, Life, Above All follows the heroics of 12-year-old student Chanda as she struggles to maintain her family’s reputation after the mysterious death of her baby sister, Sarah. The film opens with Chanda (Manyaka) performing the role of head-of-household after Sarah’s death, as her mother is ill and her siblings’ father Jonah is a stealing and booze drinking cheat. Chanda’s mother, Lilly (Mvelase), is devastated, but even her family refuses to attend the funeral. They ostracized Lilly after she married Chanda’s father instead of an arranged suitor. Despite this, Lilly and her family have a friend in neighbor Mrs. Tafa (Manamela). Mrs. Tafa can relate to Lilly; she had a son, Emmanuel, who died not long before Sarah.

Chanda defies the pleas of her mother and Mrs. Tafa by remaining friends with local classmate and occasional whore Esther, who prostitutes herself to truck drivers for money. This is important in stressing the real-life application of the film’s message for many reasons. Firstly, child prostitution is a commonality in the region. Most importantly, this is a medium by which HIV/AIDS spreads at an alarming rate as these male truck drivers are having unprotected sex with various women/girls at every place at which they make a stop.

Esther’s participation in this web of sex and disease not only jeopardize her own health, but also serves to foreshadow the role of HIV/AIDS in relation to her best friend’s family. Lilly warns Chanda that her image as a great student will be vilified by hanging out with Esther, but Chanda insists that she does not care what people think, a remarkable declaration considering her village is framed around the gossip and opinions of its citizens.

Soon, suspicions of Lilly and Jonah’s failing health circulate. It becomes apparent that Mrs. Tafa, who is not immune to the fear and misconceptions of HIV or “the bug,” is not at ease with the possibility of AIDS being next door. She devises a plan to send Lilly back to her hometown in order to get treatment for what she tells Lilly is an internal demon. Mrs. Tafa later claims she did this in order to protect Chanda and her siblings, Iris and Selo, from the hurtful rumors people may tell. Mrs. Tafa’s behavior underscores the true taboo that is HIV/AIDS in the African community; they believe HIV/AIDS is not a disease, but a curse set out to punish evil people.

After she cannot get in touch with her mother, young Chanda stands up to her elder Mrs. Tafa, lashing out in an emotional scene that makes Mrs. Tafa understand her own hypocrisy and immorality. Chanda then sets out to find her mother, but her mother’s family continues to lie about her whereabouts. Once again, the undercurrent of forced removal due to having AIDS is brought to the surface. In one of the most emotional scenes in the film, Chanda finds Lilly far removed from civilization, lying down in filth and slowly being killed by AIDS. Chanda’s journey to find her mother and bring her back home displays the inner strength of a young girl who refuses to allow death to break her sense of familial responsibility.

Upon Chanda’s return with a dying Lilly, the community gathers around Chanda in anger, throwing rocks at her and blaming her for bringing evil into the community; however, Mrs. Tafa stands up for Chanda and tells onlookers how their own lives are not so saintly either. The audience is led to believe that Mrs. Tafa’s son did not die in a robbery as she says, but by the same disease that kills Lilly.

If you are looking for a movie that will shake you to your emotional core in nothing less than in a profound way, Life, Above All is that movie. This cautionary tale should continue to revived and discussed long after its debut at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival for its uncomfortable but necessary portrayal of everyday life in Africa. Chanda’s story is the story of many children in the continent who are impacted by a disease, NOT an unlucky curse, which leaves them motherless and fatherless. If the film does nothing else, it should at its base educate; educate the masses about how serious HIV/AIDS is and how it is a crisis that deserves and requires the attention of not just Africa, but the entire world as a whole.