Let’s face it, most of the big movies set in Africa in recent years have tended to focus on the continent’s darker side. So, it makes a refreshing change to have a film come to the big screen that captures something of the continent’s vitality – and potential.

Pathé and the BBC’s new film Africa United gets the balance just right. It tells the story of five kids who decide to walk across the continent to Cape Town for the opening of the World Cup. Each of the characters has a different story and a different dream which together paint a picture of the complexity of the continent.

While one child is from a privileged and comfortable home, two of the children are impoverished AIDS orphans, one is a runaway child soldier, and another is a girl sold into prostitution that the group of friends help to escape.

The bond that forms between them becomes as unbreakable as it is unlikely, as the children support and help each other in the face of the many obstacles they encounter on their journey.

There are some tender moments as the friends overcome each setback and stick by one another, even when their own lives are at stake, and although their friendship is at times tested, they hold fast to their team name – Africa United.

Despite the stark reminders of reality, Africa United is replete with humour and never gets bogged down in the weightiness of the issues it handles. It reflects the tragic realities across Africa but also captures the growing self awareness among Africans that theirs is a continent on the cusp of achieving great things.

Such a film couldn’t have come too soon for the people of Africa and it is no surprise that the film is expected to match, if not surpass, the success of Slumdog Millionaire. With fantastic performances from the young cast, colourful animations and jovial music, Africa United is as enjoyable as it is educational and inspiring.


Africa United is out in cinemas on October 22.