Can the death of a human being make a country happy?
Let me rephrase the question. Can death bring hope? I do not know. Perhaps. Recklessly, yes. And perhaps that's what happened in Libya. The death of Muammar Gaddafi rekindled the hope of many Libyans who lived in fear. This is the case with Ashur Shamis, exiled to London on account of his work criticizing the regime. Shamis fled for his life which at the time was considered worth a million dollar reward. It was the price of being the opposition in a country where doing just that automatically bestows the cloak of a stray dog walking with their tail in between ther legs.
For the record, journalist and political activist Ashur Shamis worked with the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, a group founded in 1980, which not only campaigned against but also attempted coups against the dictator.
To watch the documentary The Colonel's Stray Dogs is to witness in depth the traumatic and multi-generational effects of dictatorship.
Directed by Khalid Shamis, son of Ashur, the 74-minute film questions the cost of decades-long opposition and the eventual return to an unrecognizable Libya on the brink of civil war. The documentary is also the search for answers from an offspring unsure of the minute details of his father's work and legacy.
The film poses scathing questions from a son who witnessed his father reserve a chunk of his lifetime not for family, but in service of the downfall of Gaddafi and other key players. More than just telling the story of the death of the Gaddafi regime, the documentary presents a portrait of a family still holding resentment, hurt and many unanswered questions.
The The Colonel's Stray Dogs is a personal and intimate narrative, featuring testimonials from relatives, home video, and interviews with Ashur Shamis' family members. The use of extensive television archival footage is in service of contextualizing Gaddafi's 2011 removal.
One aspect that does not escape is original music composed by Tiago Correia Paulo. Psychedelic sounds give another meaning to the images. Without doubt, the documentary is a convincing family portrait.
by Hélio Nguane
This story emanates from the Talent Press, an initiative of Talents Durban in collaboration with the Durban FilmMart. The views of this article reflect the opinions of the film critic Hélio Nguane. Mentors: Djia Mambu & Wilfred Okiche.
In Partnership with Africiné Magazine (Dakar).
