I AM SLAVE, official selection of the 2010 TIFF, is the latest film of Gabriel Range, who directed Death of a President. It was written by Jeremy Brock, who also wrote The Last King of Scotland, for which Forest Whitaker won an Oscar for Best Actor. Gabriel Range wanted to depict Mende Nazer's dramatic life, “This woman demonstrated exemplary courage. She's an inspiration to us all. I hope this film will raise awareness and start a debate to stop slavery.”
I AM SLAVE charmed the critics:
“The strikingly shot picture leaves a lasting impression...” - Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter.
“A tense, heart-wrenching film about the slave living next door” - Tom Henheffer, Maclean's.
“The film was even more affecting than I'd expected...” - Rachel Cooke, NewStatesman.
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Malia, the daughter of wrestling champion Bah, gets kidnapped from her Sudanese village in the Nubar mountains by a pro-government Arab militia and sold as a slave to a woman in Khartoum who mistreats her. Six years later, the woman moves to London and takes Malia with her. The young woman is given a new identity, but her life of misery continues. Her passport is taken from her and she is told her father will get killed if she contacts the authorities. Fortunately, someone gives her hope of escaping and reuniting with her father. A thriller set in London's slave trade and centered on a woman's fight for freedom. There are about 5,000 people currently working as slaves in the UK.
I AM SLAVE / Moi Esclave
A film of Gabriel Range – Angleterre / UK
2010 / 77'/ Anglais / English
Avec / With : Wunmi Mosaku, Isaach De Bankolé, Lubna Azabal & Hiam Abbass
