An African Election
An African Election Image
Metascore
73 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critics What's this?

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  • Summary: The 2008 presidential elections in Ghana, West Africa, serve as a backdrop for this feature documentary that looks behind-the-scenes at the complex, political machinery of a third world democracy struggling to legitimize itself to its first world contemporaries. At stake in this race are the fates of two political parties that will do almost anything to win. Director Jarreth Merz follows the key players for almost three months to provide an unprecedented insider’s view of the political, economic and social forces at work in Ghana. He builds suspense by taking the viewer down the back roads of the nation to capture each unexpected twist and turn in a contest that is always exciting and never predictable. Throughout the film, Merz depicts the pride and humanity of the larger-than-life politicians, party operatives and citizens who battle for the soul of their country. (Urban Republic)… Expand
  • Director: Jarreth J. Merz
  • Genre(s): Drama, History, Thriller, Documentary
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Runtime: 89 min
  • More Details and Credits »

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    Nov 29, 2011
    80
    What is finally most compelling about this film is the sense it gives of how passionately the citizens of Ghana believe in democracy, how much it means to them.
  2. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Ernest Hardy
    Nov 29, 2011
    80
    Even those who closely follow African (or global) politics will likely be bowled over by the real-life plot twists unfolding before Merz's camera. What makes the film especially resonate now is the frustration with the status quo that is consistently voiced by the people on the street.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Jeannette Catsoulis
    Nov 29, 2011
    70
    As we join throngs of excited citizens at a public vote-counting, their uninhibited zeal for the process only highlights the jaded cynicism that threatens to overwhelm our own.
  4. Empire
    Reviewed by: David Parkinson
    Nov 29, 2011
    60
    Occasionally lacking in context but never less than intriguing, Jarreth Merz's polished film is a handy document to a rarely visited democracy.

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. gibsonlive
    9
    I have been following this film since the premier at Sundance. It is unlike any political film that I've have seen, It has a feeling of a thriller in that you are inside of an election that is about to spiral out of control.… Expand

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