ATLANTIQUE / ATLANTICS
Mati DIOP — FRANCE, SENEGAL, BELGIUM — 104 minutes
IN A NUTSHELL
In Mati Diop’s debut feature, a young woman named Ada (Mama Sané) becomes stuck on the coast of Dakar after her boyfriend, Souleiman (Ibrahima Traoré) vanishes en route to Spain, trying to escape to a better life. Ada is forced to agree to an arranged marriage to Omar (Barbara Sylla), a wealthy immigrant. And, then there is a stange arson attack, which could mean the return of Souleiman or something far more supernatural at play. (words by Bianca Garner)
CRITICAL RESPONSE
“As beautifully shot as the film is – and as dazzlingly gorgeous as its star-crossed lovers are – Atlantique seems at this point to be a straightforward account of working-class Africans being driven from home by economic hardship. In short, Diop is dropping hints that Atlantique might just encompass both the social-realist and the surreal. Dreamy yet sensual, fantastical yet rooted in uncomfortable facts, Diop’s beguiling film may even have reinvented a genre. As for which genre that is, watch Atlantique and find out.” — Nicholas Barber, BBC Culture
“Atlantics is at its heart a love story, but Diop not only expands on the age-old setup of the doomed lovebirds to include insights into modern Africa’s obscene wealth inequality, she also daringly uses stark genre elements to enrich the narrative. In some ways the film reminds me of last year’s competition entry Happy as Lazzaro, which incorporates supernatural themes where you least expect them as well.” — Zhuo-Ning Su, Awards Daily
“A fine director of actors, Diop skillfully selected and guided her largely non-professional cast, drawing out believable three-dimensional performances graced by inner radiance. The visual palette is largely muted, the oceanfront robed in a hazy light while many other scenes are shot at night, a time when the balance between freedom and danger adds to the inherent tension.” — Jay Weissberg, Variety
PRIZE PROSPECTS
So there’s kind of a running theme in competition, when looking at the prospects. Films that might well be invited back on Saturday evening’s prize announcements, that are visually striking. So much so that they may well impress technically, given the potentially diversive reaction to the somewhat surreal plot turns. And Atlantique marks another debut filmmaker on show. And another woman (the first of four in the official line-up).
And I would like to say another black woman, but Mati Diop is actually the first in the history of the in competition section. Hard to believe. That said, there is a strong wave of praise for this one, and seeing Diop and company stroll back down the red carpet on Saturday could amount to one of the top prizes. I’d stick my neck out at the Jury Prize, tiny chance for Best Director, but even that is a tough call given what else is in contention. (words by Robin Write)
