I AM SLAVE

UK, 2010, 80 minutes, Colour.
Wunmi Mosaku, Isaach de Bankole, Hiam Abbas, Lubna Azamal, Yigal Naor, Nonso Anozie.
Directed by Gabriel Range.

I Am Slave is a strongly felt protest against 21st century slavery. It is a British production, telling a story from countries like Sudan with their civil wars and uprisings, poor people as a source of slavery in Khartoum and in England. The director is Gabrielle Range (bullfighting documentary, Little Matador), writer Jeremy Brock (Charlotte Grey, Last King of Scotland).

The film tells a story of one girl, captured during an attack on her village, up for sale in a market in Khartoum and taken into a wealthy family where the woman of the house is cruel over many years. Exasperated, she transfers the girl to the house of her cousin in London where she is treated just as cruelly.

By this time she is eighteen, able to take some initiatives, finally contacting a man in the street on his way to work who helps her to freedom. The finale is a plea to stamp out such slavery, the film offering a number of statistics.

Wunmi Mosaku gives a dignified performance. Isaach de Bankole, who produced the film, is her father. It is interesting to see the dignified Palestinian actress, Hiam Abbas as the cruel mistress in Khartoum. The London settings are familiar. The scenes in affluent Khartoum, mansions and shopping, are not so familiar. The countryside locations were filmed in Kenya.

1. A crusading film? A justice message film? Slavery in Africa? In first world countries like the United Kingdom?

2. The film based on a true story, the story of Malia, her life in Africa, the warlords and the attacks, slavery, respectable families in Khartoum, sending the
slaves to England, servitude in London? The search by her father for Malia?

3. The African settings, the wars and uprisings in countries like Sudan? Location filming in Kenya? The London locations? The vast contrasts between the world of the wealthy and the world of the tribes?

4. The structure of the film: the many strands and their being interwoven, not in chronological order, but the audience eventually putting together the story
of Malia?

5. The situation in Africa, tribespeople and their traditions, lineage and princesses? The initial processions, body paint, wrestling confrontations? The contrast with the warlords, masked, on horseback, burning the village, killing people, taking slaves? The stampede of cattle, the father trying to save Malia, their being separated?

6. The father, his grief, six years searching for his daughter, the worry of his wife? In Khartoum? Collecting garbage? Malia glimpsing him? The phone
call it the end and his joy?

7. Malia and as a little girl, in the market, the rich woman examining her, taking her, making her a slave, beating her with the hose, her room and its poverty? The hard work? The shopping, glimpsing her father, the attempt to escape?

8. The rich woman, her bearing, authority yet her cruelty, demands, beatings? The years passing? Her getting rid of Malia to England? Stupid

9. Getting the girl into England, passport control, the woman and her chauffeur, taking the passport, confining the girl to the house, her not talking to the husband? Looking after the boys, some joy? The work, her trying to phone, her getting out, running in the streets, the chauffeur collecting her, his not telling the mistress? The phone calls and the severity of the mistress? The smashing of the plates, her being confined to her room for a week, no light? The cruelty? Taking her away from the children? The children enjoying her company?

10. The woman’s threats that she would kill Malia’s family? Motivation of fear?

11. The man across the street, walking to work, her finally get his attention, the discussion, his coming for her, taking her away?

12. Chauffeur, listening to her story, his dismay, unable to help her, his need to keep his job? His sympathy?

13. The final escape, her phoning her father? Her future?

14. The strong story against contemporary slavery, even in allegedly civilized and wealthy families?