Underplayed Gems

Tug of War (2021)

Tug of War poster
Original title
Vuta N'Kuvute
Directed by
Amil Shivji
Genre
drama, romance
Country
Tanzania
Runtime
1h 32m
Rated
12
Elsewhere
IMDb
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The catalogue in 3D

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How it feels

Set in 1950s Zanzibar, a young woman meets a political activist and they fall in love as the island moves toward independence from British rule. Their relationship is tested by colonial oppression and personal loyalties.

romanticresistanttenderhistoricalurgentearnestpolitically chargedslow-burn

What happens

Tug of War (original title: Vuta N'Kuvute) is a 2021 Tanzanian coming-of-age political drama about love and resistance set in the final years of British colonial Zanzibar. The film was directed by Amil Shivji based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Adam Shafi. Tug of War is Tanzania's second entry ever, and its first in 21 years, for the Academy Award Best International Feature category. In November 2022, it was awarded the Tanit d'Or, the top prize at Tunisia's Carthage Film Festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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