Out of the Mailbag, Comes Songs and Stories: African Giants

Over a weekend visit in Los Angeles, two first-generation Sierra Leonean American brothers navigate the changing dynamics of brotherhood after a surprise announcement. Alhaji (Dillon Daniel Mutyaba) welcomes his little brother, Georgetown law student Sheku (Omete Anassi), and shows him the sights, as they get deeper into the memories, and their problems today, surprises to each of them. Some of those problems today simmer from the residual hurts in and around those memories.

African Giants is a film that is a conversation between two brothers, reunited, perhaps at the first times as adults. I never had those deep discussions with my siblings, remembering how our mom and dad brought us up, our faith, our careers; conversations with no agenda, just talks about where we, our parents came from, what they went through – and extremely interesting long conversation about anything, peppered with life experiences, memories, moldings.

It was very interesting to see the two main characters feed off each other, in good ways and bad. Resentments and great joys take turns as we learn about them and how they were formed. Two brothers brought up together, yet still very different in their beliefs and memories.

They evolve, right before our eyes. Their parent’s life lessons forged each, but of course, in different ways, with different memories of their life and their culture. Both Sheku and Alhaji are played by gifted actors, with an introspective but expressive skill that allows us to see what they are feeling, even though the other person in the conversation can’t seem to; you want to shout, “Tell them” but we rarely do.

Tensions mount, and we wonder, what happened? What has not been said, and why? Is it fear? Perhaps out of respect and perhaps because of their deep love for each other, not wishing to hurt anew?