| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
|
|
Elizabeth 'Eliza' Maganga Nsese | ... |
Herself - Pilots' girlfriend, singer
|
|
|
Raphael Tukiko Wagara | ... |
Himself - Night guard
|
|
|
Dimond Remtulia | ... |
Himself - Fish factory owner
|
|
|
Marcus Nyoni | ... |
Himself - Airport police officer
|
|
|
Sergey Samarets | ... |
Himself - Ilyushin-76 captain
|
|
|
Jonathan Nathanael | ... |
Himself - Young painter
|
|
|
Msafiri 'Safiri' Habat | ... |
Himself - One-legged street boy
|
|
|
Dima Rogonov | ... |
Himself - Singing pilot
|
|
|
Vladimir Tarasenko | ... |
Himself - Air navigator
|
|
|
Jura Biriuchev | ... |
Himself - Freight supervisor
|
|
|
Stanislav Ivanchenko | ... |
Himself - Radio engineer
|
|
|
Jakob Maiseli | ... |
Himself - Fish-quality controller
|
|
|
Lalit Malhotra | ... |
Himself - Simba Plastics salesman
|
|
|
Shadard Mkono | ... |
Himself - Fishing camp leader
|
|
|
Cleopa Kaijage | ... |
Himself - Reverend
|
The larger scope of the story explores the gun trade to Africa that takes place under the covers -- Russian pilots fly guns into Africa, then fly fish back out to Europe. The hazards and consequences of this trade are explored, including the pan-African violence propagated by constant flow of weapons into the continent. If it is a "survival of the fittest" world, as Darwin concluded, then the capitalist interests that fund the gun runners are climbing the evolutionary ladder on the backs of the Africans in this stark Darwinian example. Much like the foreseeable extinction of the Lake Victoria perch, and death of Lake Victoria itself, the Africans are in grave jeopardy, even as they survive in the only ways they know how. Written by Erin Willis <[email protected]>
A documentary about poverty, globalization, the Nile Perch fish, Africa...and far more. I resoundingly agree with everything this documentary is ABOUT, but I wasn't altogether enthused about THIS documentary.
Beginning with the case of the Nile Perch fish (which was introduced into Tanzania's Lake Victoria and subsequently eradicated all other species in the Lake), the film branches out into every direction imaginable.
The film is essentially presented as an introduction to the ideas of capitalism and globalization, but doesn't introduce the viewer to anything beyond the surface, nor does it draw overt links between any of its ideas. Darwin's Nightmare attempts to use the existence of the Nile Perch as a case study exemplifying the ails of globalization, but doesn't do so very effectively.
Granted, the film is emotionally raw and moving, and our theatre, too, sat in still silence as the credits rolled, however, a similar reaction could be gained if the World Vision television spot was played in the theatre. Powerful? Yes. A great documentary? No.