Heremakono

A poetically profound, spiritually moving and - above all else - truly amazingly photographed film. This is the look, the sound and the voices of loneliness and longing, of the cyclical nature of life. Hell. This is life. One beautiful snapshot after another.

"Rarely have the themes of migration, social displacement and cultural imperialism been explored with such a delicate mix of melancholy at the passing of custom and the wistfulness of the exile-in-waiting who knows departure is his only hope of survival."

A film with beautiful images and excellent scenes. Any one of the characters could have made for an interesting film in their own right, but putting them all together didn't work for me. The thematic connections were strained and I never felt enough depth or context for any of the characters to really click.

There's tons to dig deep into about cultural imperialism but I found I connected more with the stories of loneliness, beauty and love that flowed through every poetic image put on the screen in this dense restrained masterpiece

This Mauritanian film does a very fine job of depicting a community in a state of transition and dealing with a generational divide. We see elder generations trying to pass on their traditions, culture and language to the youth, while the youth are shown sympathetically as desiring their independence and freedom, while respecting their elders. The whole thing is told in a very mature, episodic style reminiscent of several European directors. A low-key but sterling piece of work from Sissako.

A languid, gentle look at this town and its people, a chance for Sissako to explore sumptuous colourful images and wonderful music showing us a culture he knows so well. Occasionally funny, occasionally poignant, occasionally moving, always relaxing and refreshing. Beautiful.

Massage for your eyes and mind.

? ne yazacagimi blemedim. konusu yok cünkü. icine kapanik bir cocugun cevresinde gelisenler diyebilirim. Biraz da Mali de hayat nasilmis diye nerak ediyorsaniz izlenebilir. Film denemez.

"Abderrahmane Sissako's Heremakono (Waiting for Happiness) is an elegiac portrait of a transit city on the West African coast struggling against foreign influences." - Ed Gonzalez

A quiet, serene picture of life, death, and isolation in a small African town.