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  • 2018
  • Kino Lorber
  • 1 h 36 m
  • 2018
  • Kino Lorber
  • 1 h 36 m

Summary Makala (Swahili for "charcoal"), the new documentary by Emmanuel Gras, is a powerful testament to one man's commitment to his family, and his endurance in working to provide them with a brighter future. Kasongo, a 28-year-old man living in Congo with his wife and daughters, dreams of purchasing a plot of land on which to build his family...

Directed By: Emmanuel Gras

  • 2018
  • Kino Lorber
  • 1 h 36 m
  • 2018
  • Kino Lorber
  • 1 h 36 m

Makala

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
71
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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Summary Makala (Swahili for "charcoal"), the new documentary by Emmanuel Gras, is a powerful testament to one man's commitment to his family, and his endurance in working to provide them with a brighter future. Kasongo, a 28-year-old man living in Congo with his wife and daughters, dreams of purchasing a plot of land on which to build his family...

Directed By: Emmanuel Gras

Where to Watch

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
71
67% Positive
8 Reviews
33% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
71
67% Positive
8 Reviews
33% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Aug 24, 2018
The power in this story from comes from its very distilled manner: it tells a timeless story about hard work by completely immersing us in the steps of process, focusing on an act of incredible physical commitment.
By Nick Allen FULL REVIEW
80
Aug 23, 2018
French helmer-lenser Emmanuel Gras’ camera embraces the subject’s every move with such rapt intimacy and cinematic poetry it’s easy to forget this is not a fictional drama.
By Maggie Lee FULL REVIEW
80
Aug 23, 2018
Emmanuel Gras’ film may be a doc, but with its luscious compositions and heart-rending score it plays like some post-apocalyptic Malick movie: thick dust storms, whispered prayers and an aching empathy for people scraping a living amid utter deprivation.
FULL REVIEW
70
May 28, 2017
Makala takes the observational approach to the hardships of Congolese life, charting a tough but insightful journey.
By Sarah Ward FULL REVIEW
67
May 27, 2017
There’s a fine line between watching someone toil and feeling as though you’re toiling yourself, of course, and “Makala” doesn’t always land on the right side of it. It can be edifying at times to watch this, as the film is clearly a labor of love — even if the actual work depicted is not.
By Michael Nordine FULL REVIEW
60
Aug 23, 2018
This immersive, slow-burning documentary about a Congolese charcoal maker finds poetry in the punishing, monotonous graft of one man’s trade.
By Simran Hans FULL REVIEW
60
May 28, 2017
The film was shot chronologically and this is clear in the increasing fluidity of Gras’ camerawork, which is less and less searching the closer they get to the city.
By Boyd van Hoeij FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Production Company Bathysphere Productions, Ciné+, Canal+ International, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, La Région Île-de-France, Cinémage 10
Release Date Aug 24, 2018
Duration 1 h 36 m
Genres
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Awards

Cannes Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Moscow International Documentary Film Festival DOKer
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
London Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

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