Atlantics
aka Atlantique
First screened in October 2019 / Most recently screened in January 2020
Director: Mati Diop. Cast: Mame Bineta Sane, Ibrahima Traoré, Babacar Sylla, Amadou Mbow, Ibrahima Mbaye, Aminata Kane, Nicole Sougou, Abdou Balde, Diankou Sembene. Screenplay: Mati Diop and Olivier Demangel.

Twitter Capsule: Talk about a ghost tropic. Solitude. Solidarity. Undertows. Salt. Knowledge. Mystery. Eyes. Ears. Flutters in the heart.

Second Capsule: What too often is, and what could be. One girl's desires, and one community's uprising. How distant, how close are these?

Third Capsule: I could never, not in eons, have imagined Atlantics, but it's the snapshot and soul of everything I'm always hoping for when a movie starts.

VOR:   Indelibly reveals a naked-eye view of Dakar as well as a series of worlds around, beneath, and within it. Candid, metaphorical, and magical in equal measure.



Photo © 2019 Cinekap/Les Films du Bal/Netflix

Not yet reviewed in full. Grade: A


Awards:
Cannes Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize; Vulcain Prize (Special Mention for Cinematography)
New York Film Critics Circle: Best First Film
Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Cinematography (Claire Mathon; also cited for Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
National Society of Film Critics: Best Cinematography (Claire Mathon; also cited for Portrait of a Lady on Fire)

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