Product Description Sleepwalking Land (Terra Sonâmbula) - .com Exclusive In the midst of Mozambique's devastating civil war, Muidinga, an orphaned refugee, wanders the countryside in search of his mother. His only companion is an elderly storyteller, and the only guide to finding his mother is a dead man's diary. Together, the storyteller and diary lead him on a magical, and sometimes macabre, journey across war-torn landscapes to find the family he lost. Based on Mia Coutou's acclaimed Portuguese novel of the same name, Teresa Prata's transporting drama underscores the power of imagination in surviving, and ultimately overcoming, the catastrophe of war. "Filmmaker Teresa Prata creates an affecting portrait of life during wartime. Ms. Prata, a skilled storyteller with a clear, unsentimental eye, neatly balances large-scale horror with a small-scale point of view charged with simple, direct feeling." –The New York Times "'Sleepwalking Land is one of the most interesting and realistic films on Africa. If you accept magical realism as a tool to narrate a realistic socio-political scenario in Africa, both Mia Couto and Teresa Prata have much to offer and delight your senses." –Dear Cinema Sleepwalking Land is an official selection of the prestigious, award-winning Global Lens Collection presented by the Global Film Initiative. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Review Filmmaker Teresa Prata creates an affecting portrait of life during wartime. Ms. Prata, a skilled storyteller with a clear, unsentimental eye, neatly balances large-scale horror with a small-scale point of view charged with simple, direct feeling. --New York TimesThe unquantifiable toll of Mozambique's long civil war suffuses Sleepwalking Land, an emotionally affecting tale-within-a-tale helmed and scripted by Brazilian-born Teresa Prata. Originating with the wanderings of a young boy and an older man before spinning into a story that adds layers of resonance, this long-gestating pic works as a parable for a society struggling to cope with its evisceration. --VarietySleepwalking Land is one of the most interesting and realistic films on Africa. If you accept magical realism as a tool to narrate a realistic socio-political scenario in Africa, both Mia Couto and Teresa Prata have much to offer and delight your senses. --Dear Cinema
A**T
Movie falls short of book's profundity
I loved the book, Sleepwalking Land. The rich visual images from the dream life of its characters and the metaphors for colonialism make it work on several levels. This low budget film cannot do justice to the depth of this narrative. The film focuses mostly on Muidinga and his "uncle." It only picks up on Kindzu's journals with partial coverage. Several key plot points are altered, and not for the better story. There is no magic realism in the film, which was a major disappointment for me. The motion picture is such a visual medium that this is a lost opportunity to take us beyond the physical world. Instead, we are forced to dwell in the mundane environment of the film and be distracted by poor photography and an absence of production quality. Ang Lee needs to take this on as only he could do.
O**N
Great to understand Mozambique's Past
Fascinating, but disturbing overview of life in Mozambique during the civil war. Reminiscent of "The Road", but has positive themes about family, the importance of history, personal commitments in the face of chaos, and seeking restoration. Be warned about the violence and disturbing scenes. From the book by Mia Couto.
M**N
Speed reading subtitles
This is a great movie for anyone who can read subtitles at blazing speed. I can't, unfortunately, so I turned it off after about 5 minutes and opted for Love & Mercy with John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Dano and Paul Giamatti. It's the story about the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson.
J**C
Five Stars
A brilliant portrait of the challenges faced by women in the developing world ..
S**5
Not To Be Missed
I cannot imagine why or how the previous reviewer could have taken such a negative reaction to this very beautiful and fantastical move. The film adaptation beautifully interprets the book's visual storytelling, the story intermingles a kind of reality peppered with the real and the imagined. We see all of the images, events, dead people whos spirits kindle and fire the tale. I have not been this moved by a film in a very, very long time.I did not provide the plotline or characters very simply because many other reviews on various websites have done so already. This is a very ambitious work, six years in the making, for the master moviemaker Teresa Prata to adapt and film.
M**A
Just the film
The DVD offers no menu or possibilities to hide the subtitles, there are no chapters. Basically it's just the film. You would expect a better presentation for a DVD, more than a simple download.
Trustpilot
1 day ago
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