X
  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • Sony Pictures Classics
  • 1 h 40 m
  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • Sony Pictures Classics
  • 1 h 40 m

Summary Just after the death of her newly-born sister, Chanda, 12 years old, learns of a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mot...

Directed By: Oliver Schmitz

Written By: Dennis Foon, Allan Stratton, Oliver Schmitz

  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • Sony Pictures Classics
  • 1 h 40 m
  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • Sony Pictures Classics
  • 1 h 40 m

Life, Above All

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 26 Critic Reviews
65
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 7 User Ratings
7.1
My Score
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Where to Watch

Summary Just after the death of her newly-born sister, Chanda, 12 years old, learns of a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mot...

Directed By: Oliver Schmitz

Written By: Dennis Foon, Allan Stratton, Oliver Schmitz

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 26 Critic Reviews
65
65% Positive
17 Reviews
31% Mixed
8 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 26 Critic Reviews
65
65% Positive
17 Reviews
31% Mixed
8 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Aug 31, 2011
The film's ending is improbably upbeat: Magic realism, in a sense. It works as a deliverance. Dennis Foon's screenplay is based on the novel "Chanda's Secrets" by Canadian writer Allan Stratton. It is a parable with Biblical undertones, recalling "Cry, the Beloved Country."
By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW
80
Jul 14, 2011
The director and his splendid cast assure that this tale about a strong little girl fighting to keep her family alive and together has both high art and a big heart, audience appeal and gut impact.
By Mary Pols FULL REVIEW
75
Aug 12, 2011
In such a bleak story, the redemptive ending seems rushed and unconvincing, but director Oliver Schmitz has sent us a timely dispatch from a forgotten corner of the world that is honest above all.
By Joe Williams FULL REVIEW
70
Jul 10, 2011
It's an absorbing, vividly inhabited tale nonetheless, never exploiting its horrors but rather treating them as tough local realities.
By Justin Chang FULL REVIEW
60
Jul 15, 2011
Director Oliver Schmitz's rhythms take a while to ease into, and admittedly, there is never a bright moment.
By Joe Neumaier FULL REVIEW
50
Jul 15, 2011
A downer that too often resorts to melodrama.
By V.A. Musetto FULL REVIEW
38
Jul 19, 2011
By the time the narrative winds toward its key revelation, even the most earnest viewer is numbed and emotionally desensitized by the unfathomable bleakness already overcrowding the screen.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 7 User Ratings
7.1
71% Positive
5 Ratings
29% Mixed
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 7 User Ratings
7.1
71% Positive
5 Ratings
29% Mixed
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Dreamer Joint Venture Filmproduction, Enigma Pictures, Niama Film, Senator Film Produktion
Release Date Jul 15, 2011
Duration 1 h 40 m
Rating PG-13
Genres
Website http://www.sonyclassics.com/lifeaboveall
View All Details

Awards

South African Film and Television Awards
• 7 Wins & 11 Nominations
Dubai International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Cannes Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

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