CRUMBS

Ethiopia/ Spain, 2015, 68 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Tadesse, Selam Tesfayie.
Directed by Miguel Llanso.

Crumbs is, to say the least, unusual and unpredictable. It is a coproduction between Ethiopia and Spain, with a Spanish director, but filmed in Ethiopia with local talent.

The film is post-apocalyptic. It is set in a strange future where earth has been destroyed, where a spaceship hovers above earth, where the inhabitants live in a mixture of landscapes from brightly coloured desert, to more luxuriant foliage, to drab post-industrial buildings and sites.

The central character is Candy, a very small man, hunchbacked, eking out his living, with a Superman shirt, echoes of superheroes. His main friend is a young woman. The film points out that births are diminishing on earth, even rare. It is full of older people who are surviving, going about their ordinary living, trying to pawn goods or buy goods, with a pawnbroker doing bargains. There is also a strange Santa Claus character calling out to passers-by.

Candy goes on a quest, a trek, encountering all kinds of strange characters on the way, memories of what it used to be like, how people lived – and what is primitive is actually old machines, some of which continue to work. In the meantime, the young woman stays, possibly awaiting Candy’s return.

In the face of confrontation, Candy is able to show his Superman shirt.

The film has a great appeal to the senses, certainly very arresting to look at, the musical score, interesting compositions of nature as well of the drab remains of civilisation.

The film is also symbolic, evocative, challenging audiences to think about our planet, destruction, human nature, human survival, relationships, exploitation, love.