简介：ThisfilmisoneofthemostmagicaltocomeoutofAfrica,hardlysurprisingsinceMadagascarisunlikeanywhereelseonearth.RaymondRajaonarivelofollowshisepicfirstfilmontheMalagasyliberationstruggle,TABATABA,withaverydifferent,poeticfilmexploringtherelationshipbetweentraditionalandmodernconceptsofhumanfreedom.Asthetitlesuggests,Rajaonariveloframeshisfilmaroundthreevisualsymbolsorleitmotifs,sky,seaand,byimplication,thelandmaroonedbetweenthemorlifebetweenbirthanddeath.Setamongtheisland'shighmesas,allthemajorcharactersdreamofescapingthisparchedinteriortoreturntotheoceanicmother,RanoMasinaor"sacredwater"inMalagasy.Rajaonarivelocharacterizeslifeinthearidhighlands,whetherinthesuperstitiousvillageorthecorruptcity,asunremittinglypredatory.Theheroofthisfilmissuchachild;hismotherdiedinchildbirthbutheisrescuedfromhisfatebyayoung,childlesswomanandnamedKapila,"thelameone,"becauseofaninjuryhesufferedinthecorral.Asinanyquestnarrative,Kapilamustembarkonajourneytodiscoverhistrueidentityandpurposeinlife.…