D01
Iddrisu (Jacob Ayanaba) is a medical student in Accra, Ghana. This modern-day drama follows Iddrisu as he learns of his father’s death and must travel back home to the village of Nakom to pay respects and settle accounts. There he learns that his Uncle Napoleon (Thomas Kulidu) is poised to claim a debt owed by his late father in the form of his family’s farm and holdings. Iddrisu convinces Napoleon to give his family until the harvest to pay off the debt.
Postponing his education in the city, the young man becomes the head of his household and assumes its responsibilities. A reluctant patriarch, Iddrisu learns to become his own man through struggle and trial and error while he changes many things for his family and his village, mostly for the better. Throughout the film, he faces a choice: should he make a place for himself in Nakom or cast it all aside and rejoin the life he left in the city and, perhaps one day, beyond.
This drama is unexpected in its familiarity. While some of the problems Iddrisu and his family face are uniquely Ghanan, many of the most prominent ones can be found anywhere farm labor is traded for profit. From the get-go, Nakom reminded me of many themes present in southern gothic stories I’ve read in the past: Death of the patriarch, family in-fighting, the focus on agriculture and nature, and the disconnection from outside assistance. The juxtaposition of social duty and restrained true feelings drives much of the drama. Unlike the typical southern gothic, the juxtaposition of new and old serves the characters as much as it hinders them. Pushing some boundaries while retaining others serves Iddrisu’s household well. Ultimately, Iddrisu and others learn that the simplest tenderness can be tonic in a harsh world.
Nakom is a cinematic tour de force. The use of color is subtle but vibrant from the beginning, blurring the lines between people and their environment, and the use of motion to draw the eye is inspired and helps to pace the film in a very organic way. The natural, human interaction of the actors at many points almost convinced me that I was watching a documentary, not a fictional drama. The story itself followed some very natural highs and lows as it wound from beginning to end. The focus on culture and religion in Ghana makes this an interesting watch as well. For these and many other reasons, Nakom is a highly recommended purchase.