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Gripping and action packed- The Eagle's Nest
A feature debut by Cameroonian born Olivier Assoua
critique
rédigé par Thabisa Ngcobo
publié le 29/07/2021
Thabisa Ngcobo is a Writer at Africiné Magazine
Thabisa Ngcobo is a Writer at Africiné Magazine
Olivier Assoua, Cameroonian British Film director
Olivier Assoua, Cameroonian British Film director
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Actress Felicity Asseh (as "Samantha Penne")
Actress Felicity Asseh (as "Samantha Penne")
Actress Claude Scholastique Mbida Nkou (as "Paris Ewane")
Actress Claude Scholastique Mbida Nkou (as "Paris Ewane")
Actor Axel Abessolo (as "Otam")
Actor Axel Abessolo (as "Otam")
Actor Richard Essame (as "Jean-Pierre Obama")
Actor Richard Essame (as "Jean-Pierre Obama")
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"The Eagle's Nest" is available on Amazon Prime (Prime Video)

The 42nd edition of the Durban International Film Festival starts off with a bang (excuse the pun) with the action-packed thriller The Eagle's Nest (La vallée des aigles) opening the South African virtual festival. Shots are fired left right and center in this gripping actioner directed by award-winning Cameroonian born British-based Olivier Assoua.



The Eagle's Nest tells the story of two best friends- Paris and Samantha, young ladies struggling to break out of their modest, cloying origins. Like many young persons with origins in sub saharan Africa, Paris dreams of bettering her life by moving to Europe. Samantha, who does not mind staying in rural Cameron just wants to be wealthy enough to slide out of the material poverty that surrounds her.

Things change for Paris on the day she is scheduled to immigrate. Her mother and sister are gruesomely murdered. Barely surviving the attack herself, Paris embarks on a dangerous quest to find the persons responsible for assassinating her family.

This is no ordinary quest as it taps deeply and directly into the underlying themes that constitute the horrors of living and hustling in the impoverished tiny west Cameroonian town. Thematically The Eagle's Nest is rooted in the social issues that are prevalent in this corner of the world. Frequent acts of patriarchal violence are often portrayed throughout the film especially with the potentially more interesting character of Samantha and the arc that Assoua outlines for her.

As the plot thickens, Assoua is uncanny about unpacking the wounds of emigration politics. The toxicities of contemporary Cameroonian modern society is typefied by an intolerable rape scene opening up questions of post-colonial trauma on the African body.

The Eagle's Nest is chock full of violence and certainly not recommended for a younger audience. Adults however will be in sync with the racy plot and stylish, often silly attempts at prestige. If they can get over Mr Assoua's cloying highhandedness that is.

by Thabisa Ngcobo

This story emanates from the Talent Press, an initiative of Talents Durban in collaboration with the Durban FilmMart. The views of this article reflects the opinions of the film critic Thabisa Ngcobo. Mentors: Djia Mambu & Wilfred Okiche.
In Partnership with Africiné Magazine (Dakar).

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