Director Baloji‘s “Omen” is an energetic and surreal film that’s somewhat difficult to follow. Experimental in both visual and narrative style, the storytelling is divided into sections that focus on different characters and touches on complex themes like feminism, racism, and the societal structures that allow them to run rampant. It’s also a strong commentary on African tradition, superstition, and the harm it can cause to past, present, and future generations.
Because of an unusual birthmark, Koffi (Marc Zinga) was deemed a sorcerer by his mother, who sent him away to live in Europe. Now, years later, Koffi and his pregnant fiancée Alice (Lucie Debay) are still living in the city but have decided to take a trip back to his birthplace with the hope of mending their broken relationship with his family before the new baby arrives. The wounds of being ostracized by his family all those years ago is something Koffi still wrestles with, and it doesn’t get easier when he’s greeted by his overly critical mother and a family that is cold towards his partner, who happens to be white.
After Koffi suffers a nosebleed while holding one of the infants in the village, he’s accused of being evil and must go through a cleansing ritual at the hand of a local priest. What follows is a nightmarish dive into a world that’s drowning underneath the weight of belief, myth, and folklore.
The film tells the story through the narratives of four characters who have been accused of being witches, but the strongest story lines belong to Koffi and Paco, a street kid who has become a magician and has decided to embrace his own label as a sorcerer. By incorporating cultural traditions and the general phantasmagoria of Africa into the story, the film celebrates the customs of an ancestral line that are deeply rooted in rituals, religion and superstition.
Baloji doesn’t make any of this easy for the audience, refusing to soften his vision for viewers. There are some harsh moments that make this one a tough (and slightly traumatic) watch, and the difficult themes of being an outsider not only in the Congo but also within the smaller family circle is expressed in an alarming way. I could see this film being reworked as a sophisticated horror film.
While I didn’t love “Omen,” I certainly appreciate what Baloji is trying to do in his distinctive debut. He has a real gift for mind-bending visual flair, and the hallucinatory qualities of the film perfectly complement its overall unsettling feel. You may not like the movie, it’s certainly one that you won’t forget.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 