TIFF 2009 Day 5: Claire Denis’ White Material

Claire Denis returns to a scene that is familiar to her and yet the Africa that she presents this time out is a black eye snapshot. Without pinpointing a region specific part on Africa’s map, White Material addresses civil war unrest and unfathomable reality of children soldiers with a camerawork and pacing that never lets up – we get an intimate view of the brut violence and an Isabelle Huppert in a deviance and obliviousness mode. It’s almost an event when African issues receives a fair cinematic representation and not surprisingly Denis’s offers a portrait void of heroes or heroic actions. Full review coming soon.