More often than not, films set in Africa are presented very much from a post-colonial, Western perspective. Whether it's Robert Redford and Meryl Streep smooching on safari in Out Of Africa or Ralph Fiennes earnestly exposing corporate exploitation in The Constant Gardener, the story invariably revolves around the experiences of transient Europeans and Americans rather than the local inhabitants themselves.
How refreshing then to see a picture that actually focuses on Africans living in Africa, with no big game hunters or corrupt, caddish embassy officials in sight. A delight from start to finish, Africa United introduces us to a group of very different young people, each of whom in their own way gives a compelling insight into many issues this continent continues to face as well as the burgeoning opportunities.
There's Dudu, a street kid with infectious entrepreneurial flair, and his friend Beatrice, who dreams of becoming a doctor. Living in the same Rwandan town but in a different world in almost every other respect is Fabrice, a child of the country's emerging middle class with his mobile phone, gated house and TIME magazine-reading mother.
Fabrice is also a gifted footballer, and when he is spotted by a talent scout looking for youngsters to show off their skills at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup, he, Dudu and Beatrice begin a somewhat implausible but utterly engrossing journey 3000 miles overland to the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg. On the way, they team up with the marvellously named Foreman George, a runaway child soldier, and Celeste, a teenage prostitute, and together the group overcome a series of dangers, from gun-toting gangmasters to enraged wildlife, in pursuit of their goal.
What this film gives you is a sense of the real Africa, rather than the picture-postcard version. Yes, there's a few money shots of Victoria Falls and lions padding majestically by, but in general we see normal people going about their daily lives in a world that is sometimes chaotic but also characterised by great warmth and humanity. The young, mostly Rwandan and Congolese cast are superb, with a particularly affecting performance from Yves Dusenge as the troubled Foreman George, who has experienced more violence than any child should ever have to witness. But the central figure is Dudu (Eriya Ndayambaje) who constantly cajoles and inspires the others with his relentless enthusiasm for life despite carrying a terrible secret. His frequent malapropisms - for example the priceless 'the world is our ostrich' - only serve to make him even more endearing.
Africa United isn't wholly a homespun affair - director Debs Gardner-Paterson and writer Rhydian Brook are British - but overall it feels very much the work of the continent it depicts. The film strikes a good balance between feelgood factor and an unflinching focus upon serious social concerns, not least the AIDS epidemic which is Africa's single greatest threat, and while some scenes are a little contrived - the ending for one - Africa United's heart is so much in the right place you can forgive its occasional lapses.
Rating: 8 out of 10.
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