https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Akasha_2018_filmAkasha 2018 film - Revision history2026-07-31T22:16:27ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Akasha_2018_film&diff=85179&oldid=prev>Munfarid1 at 13:56, 7 December 20202020-12-07T13:56:36Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Infobox film<br />
| name = aKasha<br />
| image = Akasha (2018 film).jpg<br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = Film poster<br />
| director = [[Hajooj Kuka]]<br />
| producer = {{plainlist|<br />
*Hajooj Kuka<br />
*Steven Markovitz<br />
}}<br />
| writer = Hajooj Kuka<br />
| starring = {{plainlist|<br />
* Ekram Marcus<br />
* Kamal Ramadan<br />
* Mohamed Chakado<br />
}}<br />
| music = {{plainlist|<br />
*Nancy Mounir<br />
*[[Alsarah]]<br />
}}<br />
| cinematography = {{plainlist|<br />
*Giovanni P. Autran<br />
*Hajooj Kuka<br />
}}<br />
| editing = Hajooj Kuka<br />
| studio = {{plainlist|<br />
*Big World Cinema<br />
*Refugee Club<br />
*Komplizen Film<br />
}}<br />
| released = {{Film date|2018|08|31|[[Venice International Film Festival|Venice]]}}<br />
| runtime = 78 minutes<br />
| country = {{plainlist|<br />
*Sudan<br />
*South Africa<br />
*Qatar<br />
*Germany<br />
}}<br />
| language = Arabic<br />
| budget = <br />
| gross = <br />
}}<br />
'''''Akasha''''' (stylized as '''''aKasha'''''; {{trans|The round-up}}) is a 2018 Sudanese [[comedic film]] written and directed by [[Hajooj Kuka]] about a Sundanese soldier caught between his love for his girlfriend and his [[AK-47]]. Kuka previously directed several documentaries. Akasha is his first narrative film and premiered at the [[75th Venice International Film Festival|Venice Film Festival]] on August 31, 2018.<br />
==Plot==<br />
Adnan has earned time off from his duty as a revolutionary soldier for shooting down a MiG fighter plane, and now professes his love to the AK-47 responsible for the shot, naming the gun Nancy. His girlfriend Lina is not happy about this other love, so she kicks him out. Over the next 24 hours, his commander tries to round up all the deserters, and Adnan concocts a series of plans to retrieve Nancy, which he accidentally left in Lina's house. Along the way he's aided by another deserter, Absi, who believes in pacifism.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shiri |first=Keith |title=Don’t miss! Four films for Thursday 11 October |work = British Film Institute |date=11 October 2018 |accessdate = 31 August 2019 |url= https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/lff-62-four-films-11-oct}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= Agarwal |first=Manish |title= Three to see at LFF if you like... African films |work= British Film Institute |date=8 October 2018 |accessdate= 31 August 2019 |url = https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/lff-62-three-see-african-films}}</ref><br />
<br />
<!--according to a recent addition to WP:FILMPLOT, plots cannot be included until a film is publicly released. So I'm going to hide this plot in a comment until that happens, and I've written a short plot above that has sources.<br />
<br />
During the rainy season in the [[Nuba Mountains]] region, all sides of the [[South Sudanese Civil War]] are forced to halt fighting due to excessive mud, but when the rain stops, the war resumes. The film takes place on the day of ''akasha'' ({{trans|"the round-up"}}), when the rebel armed forces gather their troops to return to war. In the rebel-held area, Adnan stayed with his girlfriend Lina while on leave from the army for heroically shooting down a drone. He professes his love of Nancy, the name of his AK-47, that he constantly cleans and decorates with beads and ribbons. Lina is jealous of this “other woman” and throws Adnan out of the house, though they agree to meet at their special tree at noon. Adnan runs into Abdi, a pacifist trying to avoid conscription, who invites him to come to his hiding spot. Adnan still plans to return to the war, but he left his gun in Lina’s house. If he returns without the gun he’ll face one year in prison. Abdi agrees to retrieve the gun for Adnan. When Abdi tries to sneak into Lina's house, he accidentally turns on a loud boombox, which alerts the neighbors. They capture him and accuse him of theft, but he escapes during a subsequent air raid.<br />
<br />
Next, Abdi and Adnan disguise themselves as women to get the gun and avoid the soldiers. They pick out clothes, practice carrying water on their heads, and even borrow a baby to carry. The disguise is not convincing, as Adnan is quickly identified by an ex-girlfriend. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, he promises to go to a wedding with her later that day.<br />
<br />
Lina waits at the special tree, but Adnan never shows. She returns home just in time to find Adnan and Abdi snatch the gun, and accuses them of theft. A village elder holds an informal trial, and the gun is determined to be Lina’s property. Adnan can't return to the military without his gun, so Abdi leads Adnan to his hiding spot, where a witch doctor prepares a hallucinogenic flower for them. Adnan hallucinates and relives the moment when he shot down the drone. From their hiding place, Abdi spots a large group of enemy tanks approaching their village and decides to warn the general.<br />
<br />
Adnan shows up at the wedding, still high, looking for Lina and disrupts the festivities. He goes to the special tree, where his and Lina’s names are carved. He goes to Lina’s house, but is confronted by her and two other women with whom he flirted. He apologizes to Lina, admits that he actually has terrible aim and that the "heroic" drone shot was a lucky accident. The three women have enough of him, and give the gun Adnan. However, the name Nancy is scratched out and replaced with the three women's names.<br />
<br />
Abdi warns the general about the approaching enemy forces, winning the general’s favor. Adnan and Abdi climb into a truck and drive off to continue the fight.<br />
--><br />
<br />
==Cast==<br />
*Kamal Ramadan as Adnan<br />
*Ekram Marcus as Lina<br />
*Mohamed Chakado as Absi<br />
*Abdallah Alnur as Blues<br />
<br />
==Production==<br />
Kuka met two of the lead actors, Mohamed Chakado and Kamal Ramadan, while teaching drama at a local youth centre, and decided to cast them in the film.<ref name="Vourlias">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/venice-two-refugee-sudanese-actors-unable-to-attend-film-premiere-akasha-1202920043/ |title=Venice: Two Refugee Sudanese Actors Unable to Attend Film Premiere |last=Vourlias |first=Christopher |date=29 August 2018 |website=Variety |access-date=1 October 2018 }}</ref> He cast Ekram Marcus to play Lina because she is so similar to the character: choosing to pursue education rather than get married.<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/audio/2018/nov/21/run-for-your-life-film-maker-hajooj-kuka-sudan-podcast-akashav |title='Suddenly you have to run for your life': a film-maker's take on life in Sudan |people=Stephens, Danielle (producer) |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |date=21 November 2018 |medium=podcast |accessdate=1 September 2019 |time=14:54}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Release==<br />
The film premiered at the [[75th Venice International Film Festival|Venice Film Festival]] on August 31, 2018, and screened at the [[2018 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]]. Two of the actors, Kamal Ramadan and Mohamed Chakado, could not attend the festivals because [[Uganda]] refused to allow their departure while awaiting their refugee status papers.<ref name="Vourlias" /> The film also screened at the [[Africa in Motion]] festival in [[Edinburgh]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2018/09/africa-in-motion-film-festival-26-october-to-4-november-2018/ |title=Africa in Motion Film Festival 26 October to 4 November 2018 |last=Stephen |first=Phyllis |date=25 September 2018 |website=The Edinburgh Reporter |access-date=1 October 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Reception==<br />
''aKasha'' received mixed reviews. Alvise Mainardi of ''Non Solo Cinema'' wrote that even though the low budget is evident, it's hard not to like it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nonsolocinema.com/akasha-di-hajooj-kuka.html |title="aKasha" di Hajooj Kuka |last=Mainardi |first=Alvise |date=31 August 2018 |website=NonSoloCinema |language=Italian |access-date=1 October 2018 |quote=Il budget rimane risicato, e talvolta nell’opera ben si nota questa caratteristica, ma il lavoro che riesce a imbastire pur con tutti i suoi difetti è difficile da disprezzare, vuoi per lo sguardo ironico con cui affronta un tema complesso, vuoi per l’assoluta mancanza di retorica.}}</ref> Martina Barone of ''Cinematographe'' felt that while the actors' performances often drag down the quality of the film, this debut shows that the director has a talent for film-making.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cinematographe.it/recensioni/akasha-the-roundup-recensione/ |title=Venezia 75 – aKasha (The Roundup): recensione |last=Barone |first=Martina |date=2 September 2018 |website=Cinematographe |publisher=FilmIsNow |language=Italian |access-date=1 October 2018 |quote=Un film decisamente semplice in cui purtroppo gli attori non contribuiscono ad alzare il livello della prestazione generale dell’opera e anzi, a volte, sembrano addirittura abbassare ancora di più il livello qualitativo del tutto. Di certo un tentativo di cinema contemporaneo che mostra la conoscenza delle dinamiche della narrazione, non sapendole però utilizzare al loro meglio, creando un film ingenuo, ma che presenta le abilità di questo aspirante regista.}}</ref><br />
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== See also ==<br />
<br />
* [[Cinema of Sudan]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://bigworldcinema.com/production/akasha/ Official Website]<br />
*[https://www.tiff.net/tiff/akasha/ aKasha film notes from Toronto International Film Festival]<br />
<br />
[[Category:2018 films]]<br />
[[Category:2010s war comedy films]]<br />
[[Category:Sudanese films]]<br />
[[Category:South African films]]<br />
[[Category:South African comedy films]]<br />
[[Category:2018 comedy films]]</div>>Munfarid1