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MALAGASY MANKANY: a useful road-movie
critique
rédigé par Aina Randrianatoandro
publié le 22/09/2022
Aina Randrianatoandro, Writer at Africiné Magazine
Aina Randrianatoandro, Writer at Africiné Magazine
Movie Still, with Charu (Sanjy Valeska)
Movie Still, with Charu (Sanjy Valeska)
Movie Still: the four youngsters on trip
Movie Still: the four youngsters on trip
Movie Still, with the lovely Charu (Sanjy Valeska) and Bob (Mahon Andoniaina)
Movie Still, with the lovely Charu (Sanjy Valeska) and Bob (Mahon Andoniaina)
Movie Still: Dylan (Haminiaina Ratovoarivony) lights a cigarette
Movie Still: Dylan (Haminiaina Ratovoarivony) lights a cigarette
Movie Still: Jimi (Ben Elissar) takes a stone
Movie Still: Jimi (Ben Elissar) takes a stone
Movie Still: The Soldiers
Movie Still: The Soldiers
Movie Still: Bob hits on Charu
Movie Still: Bob hits on Charu
Africiné Magazine, the World Leader (Africa & Diaspora Films)
Africiné Magazine, the World Leader (Africa & Diaspora Films)

The road-movie Malagasy Mankany (1h32, 2012) is directed by the Malagasy filmmaker Haminiaina Ratovoarivony,. In this story, Jimi (Ben Elissar), Bob (Mahon Andoniaina) and Dylan (Haminiaina Ratovoarivony) are three friends, fifth-year sociology students at the University of Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar.
One day, Jimi listens to an announcement on the national radio station : his family living in the deep countryside of Mahajanga wants him to return home because his father is seriously ill. He must therefore urgently buy a taxi-brousse ticket. The problem is that he is broke. The scholarship is not out for four days. Bob, also host of an underground radio channel under the pseudonym Dragon of Madagascar, advises him to seek Dylan's help.

At the wheel of his Austin Mini, Dylan who had just stolen 60 millions ariary (14 461 Euro) from a "karàna" whom he killed with a bullet in the head agrees to help Jimi by offering to take him to the bedside of his comatose father, taking advantage of the trip to get away from Antananarivo, the scene of the crime. At the start, they take Charu (Sanjy Valeska), a pretty young karàna who is heading in the same direction. At the last moment, Bob also decides to come with them.
Throughout the journey, the three of them will succumb to Charu's charms. Through the encounters they make during their journey, the four protagonists rediscover Madagascar and discover themselves.



The film amazes with its scenes full of hedonism where sex, marijuana and alcohol appear as a trivial reality of Malagasy youth, but it is much deeper than that. Haminiaina Ratovoarivony paints a rich and realistic picture of the Big Island by describing the various economic, sociocultural problems and the political landscape in crisis since the coup d'Etat of March 2009.
He also tries to answer the paradox : "Why does Madagascar, a country so rich in natural resources and human potential, remain so poor ?" A relevant observation from Jimi provides an answer, among many others, to the question : "How do you want Madagascar to develop ? The peasants deal drugs and the gendarmes are all corrupt !"

"Malagasy Mankany" is also a deep meditation on what Malagasy youth, embodying the future of the country, can do to lift Madagascar out of the abyss of poverty. We thus hear at the beginning of the film the alarm signal of a host of the national radio channel : "Wake up young Malagasy people. Stand up for the fatherland, and move forward without fear to illuminate again the future of the Nation !" There is also the precious advice of Father Sano, a Japanese priest met during a car breakdown in the middle of the countryside, advice addressed to Jimi : "Don't waste your time chasing the city lights. If you really want to develop Madagascar, start with the bush."
Otherwise, "Tanindraza", one of the songs written by Haminiaina Ratovoarivony and composing the soundtrack of the road-movie sounds like a call to patriotism. In fact, it takes up in its chorus the lyrics of the Malagasy national anthem: "Dear homeland of my ancestors, beloved Madagascar. We will love you forever. May God keep you, dear island of our hearts. May you be happy and prosperous".

Malagasy Mankany benefits from an original screenplay, rich in suspense, twists and comical situations. Some scenes that sometimes seem far-fetched fortunately have the merit of contributing to the development of the plot. The filmmaking is excellent. Each image, each shot, each accompanying music is meticulously worked to serve the purpose of the filmmaker. Nothing was left to chance. Overall, the acting is decent. All these qualities undoubtedly justify the success of Malagasy Mankany, selected and awarded in various international film festivals.
10 years after its release, the problems raised by the film such as poverty, unemployment, insecurity in the bush, but above all corruption are still very present in Madagascar. Because of bad governance, the horizon towards which the Malagasy people are heading appears more and more nebulous. Where are we really going ? Certainly, there is a responsibility of the leaders in this situation but the population also has its share of responsibility. "Malagasy Mankany" has the merit of proposing elements of solutions while arousing more reflection.

On the occasion of the Tenth anniversary of its release, the film is now available on VOD in the Vimeo site of Laterit Productions (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/malagasymankany), with subtitling options in French, English or Portuguese. It's an opportunity to (re)discover this useful road-movie.

Aina Randrianatoandro
Film critic
Founding member of the Madagascar Film Critics Association (ACCM)
Individual member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI)

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