Prize for New Voice at Cannes, the first feature film by rapper Baloji intersects the destinies of four characters designated by their community as sorcerers. Imbued with the world of stories and mystical overtones, “Augure” takes care of its photography and its staging, even if it means getting lost in its own reflection.
(A review by Fanny Agostino)
Koffi (Marc Zinga) and his pregnant wife (Lucie Debay) are not serene. It’s been more than an hour since his sister was supposed to come pick them up from the airport. The couple decides to rent a car to join Koffi’s family. The reunion is frosty: after fifteen years of absence, no one really speaks to this older brother, who has left to make his life in Europe. A strange atmosphere reigns within this family meal where the father is expected. The presence of Koffi has something to do with it.
Impossible to view the start of the Belgian-Cameroonian’s film Baloji without thinking about the horror thriller “Get Out”. This time, the balance of power is reversed: a white woman is inducted into a Congolese family. The production plays on family tension and leaves doubt about the reasons for this unease. We quickly understand, however, that the eldest of the siblings was born with a wine stain on his face, which makes him a special being, a sorcerer.
Review of “Augure”, captivating return to Congo
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The film is revealed by its aesthetic – the colors adapt to the point of view represented with different filters – as well as its care taken with the photography. The sequences are captivating: the entire cast participates, like young Paco (Marcel Otte Kabeya), street child dressed in a pink princess dress. Sometimes floating, certain parts of the film present surreal moments. This is evidenced by the passages mixing carnival and voodoo rite or the moment inspired by the tale of Hansel and Gretel. The story then becomes secondary and the feature film opens up to new perspectives, close to the performative.
A story at the heart of family secrets and cultural uprooting, “Augure” is a first experimental film that breaks the mold. Despite redundant work concerning the dreamlike and poetic parts, Baloji signs an astonishing first film and marks with his name an enchanting territory with lyrical accents.
4/5 ★
More information on “Augure”
Trailer for “Augury”
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