Bright Future review - THINGS OF THE AIMLESS WONDERER by Kivu Ruhorahoza

Fear of neo-colonialism in Rwanda's patriarchal society. Kivu Ruhorahoza's film Things of the Aimless Wonderer was presented in the Bright Future section of the 44th International Film Festival.
 
Kivu Ruhorahoza is a filmmaker that is not too keen on painting a pretty picture. This film clearly shows, in all seriousness, that there are some things that are no laughing matter as well as generally misrepresented by the popular media. It is with this aim and purpose that his film looks bluntly at the disappearance and death of a girl from three different perspectives, divided in cultural class and sexes - an approach that wholly represents with great bluntness the perspective of blacks, whites, males and females.
 
One of the characters is a Western white reporter. Another is a native black inhabitant of Rwanda. The third is a native woman, whose disappearance drives the narrative that represents three realities (or a three dimensional perspectve) or Rwanda. Therefore, the structure provides three different possibilities for the pivotal disappearance, and as such provides it with three examinations of reality. The fear of western idealism on behalf of the black native patriarchy of the country. The perverse need for western journalists to report on exaggerations and romanticised terror of a so called less developed country. And in the midst of it, a woman, perennially negatively affected by a man's man's world.
Things of the Aimless Wonderer is uncomfortable and its strong views may even seem somewhat controversial because they are unembellished. A lack of dialogue adds a distant urgence that is certainly alarming. Yet, a close attention to build a worrying atmosphere coated with danger or the illusion of danger is clearly shown by sound editing that enhance the power of a visual approach driven by a work of photography made up of lengthy shots that linger on he screen, sometimes far longer than our immediate reaction to them would naturally lead us to look away.
 
We cannot talk about a particular type of visual violent graphic style, yet the film can't help but feel hostile. More than a wake up call, it is downright shake up that doesn't diguise its anger at Rwanda's disanchantment, but at once flirts with some western cinematic element, such as the noir genre elements that are becoming more and more prominent in today's arthouse films. Much credit goes to the cast, especially Ramadhan Bizimana in the role of the native, whose natural look alone can be menacing, fearful and full of meaningful concern.