Pierre Radulescu I read the reviews to this movie: some of them reproach to Kiarostami that he missed to depict the real situation, that his view was superficial. I think these reviews missed actually the point. Kiarostami has never pretended to explain the universe he was filming. He gave only, in all honesty, a strict account on what he witnessed, nothing more. It's his truth, nothing but his truth, anything more would be hypocrisy.It is the style from all his movies: letting each new situation encountered to develop on its own. There is something new here, truly revolutionary: using the tiny video camera gives total freedom to anything, spontaneity becomes fully unrestricted. Spontaneity and interactivity: the kids are playing with the camera, inventing games and dances, like all kids from any place on Earth.And so ABC Africa marks one of the most important moments in the history of cinematography: the hand-held video camera throws away any conventions and liberates personages and places from the tyranny of the scenario, and ultimately from the tyranny of the director.

jcappy ABC Africa, which is simply Kiarostami's response to a plea for exposure and "international attention" by a Uganda's women organization to the plight of 2 million AIDS (and war) orphans, may be viewed as a reflective journal piece, a painterly poem, and a political support project all in one.Certainly, Kiarostami's approach is low-key, and understandably limited by an outsider's perspective. He must apprise all through a sensitivity to cultural differences--and privileges. So his work relies on an egalitarianism in the sense that it flows out of a plurality of centers that Kiarostami and his cameras gravitate to. Thus, detachment is minimized both by the use of hand-held digital and still cameras, and by the participation of all--crew and "cast"--in the goings on of film. And the integration of sound, song, dance, color, and voice, are made convincingly real. This is an intuitive, and congenial documentation, but never gives any indication of being a puff piece. If Kiarostami doesn't delve too deeply into the more disturbing side of the realty he depicts, it may well be that he's acknowledging his guest status--and perhaps, understandably, his lack of knowledge.In any case, the results are impressive--lyrical, screen-filled images insist on the beauty and reality of the unseen. Kiarostami is the poet-painter who fills his surfaces with both filmic and still portraits of orphans, women and taxi drivers. Heads, faces, clapping hands, and skin are joined to movement, gestures, and intonations which constitute an open social world--one in which Kiarostami himself joins by gesture, and voice as he bobs his camera in the midst of the long, colorful boys-chant scene. Almost everyone gets to have fun with his cameras and some resistant ones quickly break into bold smiles. But the lyricism is tempered by the AIDS center scenes, and by an invariably non-romanticized approach which never spares us the dire physical and social contexts of these phoenix-like women and children.Yes, Kiarostami does make a political statement in "ABC Africa"--he simply makes visible the lives of the Ugandan orphans and the courageous, hard-working women who have committed to saving their lives. "Imagine that grandmother living with 35 kids..." "half of their life in the dark" (no electricity) says one of the crew in the black out scene. "Humans can adapt to anything..." another says, and what is more human than the human-ness of these people, is the film's point. A 10 year commitment to each child's independence and empowerment--clothing, educating, providing safety for, feeding, economizing, is a collective endeavor worth shouting from the rooftops.But Kiarostami makes a number of subtle points as regards the cultural/political blocks this army of volunteers must counter in order to survive. A means Abstincenc, B means Be faithful and C means Condom with "C" being a last resort only. The Pope's image is evident all around and US aid is behind him-- a poster of Bob Marley can hardly compete with that. Then there is the government which is a part of the process and names a lot of the rules by which the work proceeds and is financed. On the countering side you have a strong woman's world view--the few men who appear blend in with the women and children-- which is like the African sun referred to by the crew in the black-out scene."ABC Africa's" truly remarkable ending has cumulus clouds transforming into the full faces of the dead and the living down below the clouds. As the adopted Ugandan girl is flown to her new home in Austria, some kind of visibility and solidarity has been achieved for those on and under the dispossessed terrain below.

FilmCriticLalitRao The best thing that can be said about "ABC Africa" is that its making is a victory for digital format of shooting films.When a film maker of Abbas Kiarostami's stature decides to shoot a documentary film on Africa using his tiny digital video camera in some way this gesture gives credibility to the belief that digital video is going to be adopted by many more leading filmmakers in the years to come. Kiarostami has been able to shoot some of the most incredible shots including one that was filmed in darkness. As far as this film is concerned the best lesson that can be learned is that of hope,joy and happiness. Who in this world can remain unaffected when he/she is having a glimpse of impoverished African children who are full of joy and radiance on their faces despite finding themselves encircled in a world of misery.There is also an element of sadness as according to the visuals shot by Kiarostami,Uganda like other African countries has lot of greenery, nature and natural resources.But as the large part of the entire African continent is ruled by military leaders and dictators,it is hard to even assume that common people can find some relief from hunger,famine,wars and tragedies.Kiarostami has filmed ABC Africa in a cinema vérité manner. This is the reason why the entire film appears as non partial.Lastly it must be stated that despite being harsh in tone,this film offers substantial amount of optimism in the form of adoption of an orphaned baby girl.The best thing to watch in this film : A song called Sanga Lo, Sanga Lo which appears too often.

jmcarlss This movie has very good goals and intentions, but isn't edited enough to get the full point. I found myself getting lost in the singing, and children dancing in front of the camera, and often forgetting what the point was. A good half of the film was just that.. children reacting to the presence of a video camera and having non African men around. Also, there was just too much footage of children's faces. We seem often too fascinated by poor little African's faces and forget the real surrounding issues. Other than that, the film had some good points and good scenes. Beautiful footage of the countryside, although also too much.