Shot matter-of-factly, there is however a fairytale or fabular quality to this Cameroonian documentary, in how it portrays the impact of the terrorist group Boko Haram through the lives of children, and how displacement and violence surface in their idle chatter and not-so-innocent drawings. When young truant brothers Mohamed and Ibrahim finally do a runner into the countryside to which they seem inextricably drawn, it almost has the air of some misadventure out of an early Terrence Malick film transplanted to the Sahel.
The locale is the village of Kolofata near the Nigerian border, under constant surveillance from military forces because of insurgents in the nearby mountains. It’s never 100% clear what has become of Mohamed and Ibrahim’s parents; either they’ve taken up with Boko Haram, or been kidnapped by them. Not that these two incorrigible, school-dodging tykes are much help clearing things up; questioned by concerned villagers, Mohamed, the eldest, obviously knows more than he lets on. Their teacher Mr Lamine has his work cut out to keep them in the classroom; others, such as diligent Falta, realise that studying can mean liberation.
