A documentary about an African country that very well may put a smile on your face instead of a sigh. The last documentary I watched on Uganda, “Theatre of Violence” was about a civil war and child soldiers. Not exactly cheerful.
“Once Upon a Time in Uganda” follows the struggle of Ugandan director Issac Nabwana to have his mega low budget films recognized both domestically and internationally. His Ramon Film Productions is basically headquartered in a hut in the Wakaliga slum of Kampala. No one is paid. Props are homemade.
Ugandan audiences at one point were obsessed with actors Bruce Lee, Stallone and Chuck Norris and Nabwana’s films while low on plot are high on action. Martial arts fights and lots of firepower have blood splattering ubiquitously and body parts flying in the air. Special effects are so cheaply done and the action overdone interlaced with a wild narration by a VJ (Video Joker). Love those helicopters!
Given the reaction of Nabwana’s “Crazy World” at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Nabwana’s comic violence style of film has the audience holding their gut not to keep their intestines intact like actors in Nabwana’s film but to prevent wetting their pants from laughing uncontrollably.
Are the films so bad they are good or is Nabwana’s comic violence a new genre of film. I suspect it is a combination of the two.
Despite growing international recognition and exposure there are no investors and even producing a television series on Ugandan television based on his film “Who Killed Captain Alex” Nabwana is stuck in the Wakaliga slum broke and dispirited not even able to pay his children’s school fees.
But hard-working burnt-out former film festival manager Alan a muzunga (white man) from New York quits his job and heads to Kampala to work with Nabwana for some 6 years attempting to have his work recognized and finally there are several festival screenings in France, Spain, United States, Kazakhstan and Belgium and interest in world premiering his film “Crazy World” at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Toronto audiences loved “Crazy World”.
Finally a feel good film about Uganda and you may understand why Nabwana’s films may have reached cult status.
Directed by Cathryne Czubek.
You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0mgSZLSzFI
Released on VOD/Digital on September 5th.
RKS 2023 Film Rating 86/100.
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