Return to Hansala is somehow the token film on Africa at the 58th Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival in Germany. It has been selected for international competition. The German premiere has raised eyebrows on the social issue of African migrants.

The Hook Tells It All
Sounds precede images. The noise describes some awkward swimming going on, it is likely. The eyes are eager to discover what is happening. The information conveyed to the brain by the ears receives visual confirmation. A human being is in trouble with water. Actually, he or she is drowning. It is the ultimate fight for survival. Unusual in African films, the camera is immersed (into water). Unexpectedly, all is apparently back to order. This is an indication that death, so painful this time, has hit hard again in deep sea in 90 seconds. At first, Rachid's body is not seen. The angle chosen is subjective. The disaster is suggested rather than demonstrated. In this connexion, the scenario of death is lived through the eyes of the character who is involved in the crisis. The director's option is convincing. The death of an individual should in no way be shown as if it were a mere dog making a spectacle of itself.

Timely Narrative Progression
There is an immediate switch from camera passiveness into lens aggressiveness. One, two, three,… seven, seventeen corpses are lying flat and lifeless on the beach at Algeciras. The sea has washed them ashore. "Directress" Chus Gutiérrez has made it clear: a successful film must "make me feel emotions and open my eyes" on world atrocities. As such, one of the major contemporary misfortunes is attempting to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. Any free trial on boats results in people dying. The Mediterranean Sea has been burying Africans for years. The road to paradise leads straight to hell.

Too Much of Something Is A Nuisance
Up to here, the relevance of the film speaks by itself. The images tell the story better. Unfortunately, all does not end there. Narration shall now drag on and on unnecessarily. The supposedly sea film at start turns into a road movie as evil encounters and sudden separations are made all through the journey. Too many topics are then tackled. First, family irresponsibility of the mortuary attendant to take the cadaver to Africa can be treated single-handedly. The same applies to Leila's financial instability in Spain which prevents her from raising at once the 3, 000 euros needed to repatriate her brother's remains to Morocco. In the same vein, customs officials rigidity in allowing in a dead compatriot, thieves roaming roads at night, difficulties in operating in Muslim cities at fasting times, rampant hypocrisy that allows Souk's (shops) owners to sell things under the counter during Ramadan, rural life in the Atlas Mountain and half a dozen of other minor themes constitute various sub-films on their own.
According to the filmmaker, thematic plurality is a conscious option. The films is "more of a voyage of discovery. Spain is very close to Morocco and it is absolutely unknown for us. They are our neighbours. We have many cultural things in common but still we don't know each other. Retorno a Hansala speaks about that and about the possibility of understanding".

Possible Controversy around Death in Muslim Societies
Many hold that Muslims are buried where they die. Again, it is unnecessary for burial to occur several days after. Immediate burial seems to be the rule among Muslims communities. However, this may not be a word for word quotation of Noble Coran. The truth is that Rachid dies in Spain. But he is not buried there. Nobody knows if any proposal in the connexion has been made. It is difficult to say if Rachid's sister in Spain was denied the right and land to have the burial done there. Therefore, the situation is an exception. It calls for increased substantiation.

Technical Hitches
The film is an exposure of some technical mixed fortunes. The pictures shot in Spain are acceptable. The ones made in Morocco are below standards. There is too much shaking. It is simple to guess, the tripod did not get to Morocco. At time, the camera operator seems lost or mixed with the crowd. This lack of professional distance automatically jeopardizes quality. Between the 47th and 50th minutes, three editing errors occur. Two unwanted pictures and a beam of the Sun's reflection roughly occupy the screen. Any critic would blame this on post-production. Wide shots on the country's landscape are an exception. They magnify the forest and mountains.

The Ending Reconciles the Filmmaker and Critics
To general satisfaction, the film ending is not closed. The illegal road to Europe is dangerous. It is as harmful and lethal as poverty back in Africa. Still, Africans want to leave their continent, men, women and the youth alike. As such, there is some show of flexibility in the ending. The openness is a credible indicator in handling social issues. Not all those attempting the crossing of the sea die. The young football fan, for instance, lands in Europe without any recognized assistance. But this is not enough. He has to earn a living. Will he succeed? This is another story, another film as well: Return to Hansala part 2 (?)

Télesphore Mba Bizo