VERO SY HAINGO (VERO AND HAINGO)

Madagascar, 2003, 73 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Patrick Vergeynst.

Vero and Haingo offers an opportunity to see some of the film-making of Madagascar. This is a short feature film (73 minutes) that reflects life on the island nation and is a message film about current social problems. Made with the support of such organizations as UNICEF, if focuses on children and the dangers of child exploitation. The didactic tone is reinforced by written messages at the end.

Father is unemployed, mother busy at home with their five children and the housework. Older daughter, Haingo, can’t concentrate on school. Younger Vero is conscientious and wants to win a spelling bee. Haingo is led by her cousin into a life of prostitution, the parents benefiting from the money. Pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are central issues as well as the exploitative attitudes of the men. Of course, this kind of film needs, if not a totally happy ending, at least an uplifting one.

The film serves as a storytelling glimpse of Madagascan life.

1. The impact of this short Madagascan feature? For Madagascan audiences, parents, youngsters? The didactic tone of the film, a moral fable? For audiences outside Africa – an insight into African life, life in Madagascar?

2. The Madagascan settings, the island, the countryside, the houses, the big city? The clubs? The beauty of the scenery, the hardship of life?

3. The use of songs, ballads, the lyrics and their comment on the action of the two girls?

4. The structure of the film: the song, the focus on Haingo, the flashback and the explanation of what happened to her during the year? The resumption of Haingo on the street – but the happy ending?

5. The didactic tone of the film, child prostitution and parents benefiting? Children dropping out of school and being exploited? The possibilities for education and fulfilling ambitions? Parents and unemployment difficulties? Issues of pregnancy? Sexually-transmitted diseases? AIDS? The promiscuity of the men?

6. The portrait of Haingo, her age, relationship with her parents, love for her mother, the difficult relationship with her father? Vero seeming to be a goody-goody girl? At home, the work, washing the clothes and ironing? The contrast with Vero? Her chatting during classes and being reprimanded, her dropping out of school? The pressure from her cousin Mino? Her being persuaded to dress up and go out, the men at the bar, the meeting with Frankie, his seductive manner, the dance, taking her home? Promising her a ride? Coming to the house, his good manners, her going out? The drive, his sexual assault? Giving her the money? Her change of heart, wanting to make decisions, not wanting to be exploited but controlling her life? Becoming a prostitute, the picture of the various men, the pick-ups, her going with them? Arriving home late? Giving money to her parents? Buying better clothes? Her moving out, the possibility of sexually-transmitted diseases, her pregnancy? Her cousin being ill, looking after the baby? Running out of money for the rent? Vero’s visit? Her illness, going to the doctor, the pregnancy? The miscarriage? Her standing on the streets, her father rescuing her from the attack? Her return home, her apology? The future for Haingo?

7. The contrast with Vero, younger, at school, conscientious, the spelling bee, her practising for the contest, her resisting the boy visiting, the boy and his uncle, the special coaching, her doing the exam, her failing? Her wanting to drop out, the pressure from her mother to stay, her father getting the job and helping her? Her passing the test – and the epilogue with her becoming a teacher?

8. The portrait of the parents, poor, the father out of work, the mother and her dependence on her daughters? Taking the money from Frankie? Knowing where the money came from? Their taking the blame for failing Haingo? Their determined not to make a mistake with Vero?

9. Mina, her child, prostitute, the money, the good-time girl, leading Haingo into this kind of life? Her illness? Dominated by money, even from Haingo to board with her?

10. The portrait of the men, Frankie at the club, seductive, manners, giving the money to the parents? Taking Haingo out, assaulting her, giving her the money? The other clients?

11. School, the teachers, the possibilities for education, the children dropping out? The young boy and his uncle and their help?

12. Life in East Africa at the beginning of the 21st century?