Remember who you are and what you can do. In the modern world, the ball is ruled by a dial that has subjugated the life of each person: faster, faster, faster. Speed reading courses, cursory courses - speed has become very important. And every day we try to do more in a minute than yesterday, simplifying all daily processes. Instead of a comment, you can now like, instead of responding to a comment, you can like the comment. We try to express our opinion in 140 characters - we don't have time for longreads. And behind all this race, which determines the rhythm of our lives, we can not imagine that somewhere time and space are perceived very differently.
Macala opens a window into another universe where all a man has is his body: hands that can hold an axe, and legs that can walk miles step by step. And in this body lies an incredible willpower and thirst for life. Unbelievably beautiful images of nature, sandy roads, sunrises and sunsets create an amazing atmosphere that can change our understanding of man: to remember everything that is hidden inside us, that we have forgotten and simplified as unnecessary thanks to modern technology. This beautiful and so leisurely film reminds us that the perception of time can be different. He sobers us up by reproaching us for forgetting the true value of things. Makala means “coal” in Swahili. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the translation sounds like patience. In any case, it takes an incredible amount of patience to mine coal, which serves as the main character’s livelihood. The patience we have long lost with the advent of civilization. We’re too used to getting everything at once: service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, home delivery, a hundred million apps for everything from taxis to transfers. And somewhere a man like us gets up at dawn, takes an axe and goes to cut down a tree. A day, two. A week, two. But the electric saw would have managed in less than an hour, probably. And then this man comes. Day, night, day, night. Cars and motorcycles are passing by. He's coming. On foot. “You’d get there in less than an hour if you were in the car,” a slightly alarmed voice in your head can be heard. He's coming. And you go with him. And with each passing minute, you get a deeper sense of respect for this man who is perhaps more human than most of us. To a person whose living conditions can cause a genuine shock for many, nevertheless devoid of even a drop of anger or aggression, turning to every stranger “brother” or “sister”. And so I want him to succeed and that the God to whom he prays, be sure to hear him, because he asks so little.
Makala reminds us once again how our world is a world of contrasts. This is a very measured poetic story about a man and the power hidden in him. If you treat documentary film with apprehension, then this is exactly the film with which you should start getting acquainted with this genre. If you have the opportunity, be sure to take a look.
