Every now and again I get the opportunity to review a foreign film that is mostly ignored by American audiences. As a matter of fact, when I talk to some of my 'higher brow" friends… you know… the ones who claim to watch foreign films because they saw "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," they look at me with the 'deer in headlights' stare when I mention movies like "Daughter of Keltoum" or "Hollow City." They haven’t a clue about these films because they only watch the foreign films that get big national attention. They don't look for smaller important films, only the ones that cost multi-millions of dollars, have a big advertising budget, and that makes them cool and hip to have seen.

While I have an admiration for some of these larger films for their entertainment value, there is something to be said for quieter, semi-documentary style films. Recently, I watched both of the ones I mentioned above and I really want to bring them to your attention. (You'll find the review for "Daughter of Keltoum" elsewhere on this site.) "Hollow City" is a particularly haunting film, one that will stay on your mind long after it ends. Shot back in 2004, it follows the experiences of a young orphan boy, N'Dala, as he tries to rebuild a life in the aftermath of the Angolan Civil war.

As a survivor of an attack that cost him his family, he is brought to the city of Luanda where he quickly escapes the care of a missionary nun who is looking out for him. He heads out into the city alone, wandering aimlessly until he meets another older boy, Ze. Having lived on the streets for a little while, Ze is more in tune with his survival instincts and takes N'dala under his wing. Together the boys live day by day, with only Ze's prostitute godmother and her boyfriend to look after them.

"Hollow City" is an amazing film, in that as opposed to having a straight forward storyline; it instead offers a day by day slice of life scenario. The boy's friendship becomes the main focus as they face the dangers of the streets. It also serves to humanize the nameless and faceless people that we see on the news everyday, living under the rule of civil war. For those who choose to watch this movie It is a chance to see that those people do have names and faces, whether they are in the ghettos of Angola or the ghettos of our own cities.

I'm glad to see that we have studios like First Run Features, who focus on releasing movies of importance to people who want more out of their films than some big overpaid actor blowing away other big overpaid actor. Movies like "Hollow City" deserve an audience

Directed by: Maria Joao Ganga
Starring: Joao Roldan, Custudio Francisco, Carlao Machado
Extras: Director Biography & Introduction, Discussion guide, Photo gallery
Specifications: In Portuguese with English Subtitles
Studio: First Run Features
Release Date: 6/20/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Hollow City a B+.