I owed myself another film for yesterday; of the next on my list, La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil was next alphabetically, and having no particular preference, I went for that. Courtesy of Sands Films, it has the added advantage of being short.
It was too late last night really, so I just watched it now. As I say, conveniently short enough to fit into a gap in the tv schedule. And it's a charming little thing, under an hour long - even with all the speechifying of the director of the film club! This seems to have been one of the first they released after lockdown, and he spends some time pondering that. If you're not interested in that part, he starts to talk about the film at about 9:45, and the film proper starts around 12 minutes in.
Set on the busy streets of Dakar, the film tells the story of a little girl who pretty much lives on the streets - we don't get to see where she actually sleeps, she's just out all the time. Most of the beggars we see have some kind of disability, as does she - one of her legs is in a brace, and seems pretty useless. She uses crutches to get around. Similarly, her grandmother - apparently her only family - is blind. But you know, there isn't a moment of pity in this film - seeing the brash boys that sell newspapers, she decides that's the job for her, and indeed, she makes a real go of it! Highly recommended, as a gentle peek into the day-to-day life of poor Africans.
And in under an hour, my first Meetup of the month! London Social Detours, naturally, with a virtual themed tour "Spies, Lies & Espionage".
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