There were a couple of good books I read and films I watched in 2023. Many of them were forgettable.
But there were a few that lingered on long after the credits had rolled and the pages had turned.
In hindsight these books and movies turned out to be my 2023 companions.
Books:
The River Between, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o – I always wanted to read this classic but never get around to do it. Until last year. I picked it up thinking that it would take a while to get into. But the opposite happened. I ended up being the one who couldn’t put it down.
The Bible (the Old Testament in particular) – I usually bounce between the OT and the NT, but last year I found myself being more drawn to the OT. The poetry in Isaiah and Ecclesiastes stood out for me more than anything else.
The Palm-Wine Drinkard, Amos Tutuola – I’ve read my fair share of weird books, but this one stacks right up there with the likes of Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. Tutuola’s grammar will leave you amused, but his images will make you wonder how someone’s imagination could concoct such wild tales.
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe – I reread this masterpiece, and I took my time with it – moving slowly and steadily through each part. I found it to be a more rewarding read. I really got to pick up Achebe’s genius and sense of sublimity. This is African fiction at its finest.
King Lear, Shakespeare – I was one of those that limited Shakespeare’s span of relevance to those few timorous years of education we refer to as high school. But once you get through those ‘Thee’s’ and ‘Thou’s’, you’d be surprised how accessible and timeless the man’s themes are. This play is arguably one of, if not his best.
Movies:
Seven Samurai, Akira Kurosawa – I knew this film was going to be special, especially from what I’d heard about it. But I wasn’t expecting this film, set in the feudal era of Japan’s history, to turn out to be one of the best things I have ever seen on film.
Touki Bouki, Djibril Diop Mambéty – I’m always amazed by Senegalese film makers, and Mambéty is no exception. His raw and visceral language of film making takes the idea of cinema and storytelling to another level. Mixed in this bubbling pot of African urban and rural life, are the masked dreams of reaching the streets of Paris. This film left me feeling all sorts of ways. Its images have been printed onto my mind. And after seeing this I can only wish more African film makers will follow in Mambéty's footsteps.
Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky – I once heard that the average shot-length of a Hollywood film these days lasts about 1.5 to 5.5 seconds max. We have been conditioned to watch movies ‘that have to get to the point.’ But then here walks in Soviet era film maker, Tarkovsky. His scenes are slow and deliberate. Most shots take 10 minutes or more. Time drags on and the plot seems to be heading nowhere. I struggled getting into his films until I understood what he was trying to do (or not do). And after being baptized into his way of seeing cinema (and life in general), I can agree with many others that he is probably the greatest film maker from the 20th century.
Dersu Uzala, Akira Kurosawa – Yes, it’s Kurosawa again. I watched this brilliant film a few times last year, and every time it ended I was left with the same sentiment: one of the greatest gifts that life can give you, in the context of this vast landscape of troubles and suffering, is a true friend to have as a companion.
Silence, Martin Scorsese – In the 1600’s Portuguese Jesuit missionaries in Japan are captured and forced to renounce their faith or face torture. A simple premise that provokes some deep and fundamental questions about faith, the real point of evangelical duties, and the illusive silence of God when believers cry out for help. The film is meditative, and certainly one of the best I’ve seen regarding the subject matter. I did feel like it could have been a bit more cerebral, but that's just me.
These were my 2023 companions. I wonder how 2024’s will look like. Do feel free to share your thoughts too in the comments section. I hope the year has kicked off to a good start for you.
God bless,
As a bonus, here are some of the musicians I listened to:
Alfa Mist
Ebo Taylor
Sona Jobarteh
Ablaye Cissoko
Anjimile
Erykah Badu
Kendrick Lamar
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Love this!