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Africa United

Release Date 21 Oct 2010 22 Mar 2011

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Certificate: 12A

Genre:

AFRICA UNITED tells the extraordinary story of three Rwandan children and their bid to achieve their ultimate dream - to take part in the opening ceremony of the 2010 Football World Cup in Johannesburg. On the way to the vital selection trial, disaster strikes when Fabrice, Dudu and Beatrice board the wrong bus and cross into the Congo. Without papers, money or a believable story, they are escorted to a children's refugee camp. But with considerable ingenuity and sass (and a World Cup wall chart for a map), our pint-sized heroes escape the camp and set off in pursuit of their dream, picking up along the way a "dream team" of displaced kids, who help them negotiate a series of thrilling and hilarious adventures. During their 3000 mile journey, we encounter an Africa few people ever see; experience an epic adventure across seven countries; and feel the joy, laughter and hope that comes from making an incredible journey together.

Cast:
Roger Nsengiyumva | Sherrie Silver | Eriya Ndayambaje | Yves Dusenge | Sanyu Joanita Kintu

Writers:
Rhidian Brook

Producers:

Directors:
Debs Gardner-Paterson

  • Critic rating
  • Currently 2/5 Stars.

Movies.ie Critic Review

Rwandan siblings Dudu (Ndayambaje, who also narrates) and Beatrice (Kintu) convince their highly skilled friend Fabrice (Nsengiyumva) to abandon his studies and head across country to the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Johannesburg, after the latter is approached for a trial at the National Stadium. Their mission is complicated a tad by their arrival at the wrong stadium, almost being enlisted as child soldiers and criminal hoteliers...

THE VERDICT: A strange beast of a film, what might look like a FIFA promo on the poster is far more concerned with the dangers of dreaming big in South Africa, director Gardner-Paterson and scriptwriter Rhidian Brook teetering between Disney adventure and hard-hitting docudrama. The wide-eyed determination of the film's protagonists sets the tone, and their enthusiasm is infectious, but this is ultimately more distraction than the diatribe one might expect.

Review by Paul Byrne 

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User Reviews

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    mart

    It appears to have been put together by social workers eager to bombard children with Aids awareness and the importance of condoms