You are here:
This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection

This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection

2020

Not Rated

Director

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese

Runtime

120 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Amongst the mountains of Lesotho, an 80-year-old widow winds up her affairs and makes arrangements for her burial. But when her village is threatened with resettlement due to the construction of a reservoir, she finds a new will to live and ignites a spirit of resistance within her community.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

7.1/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film does not feature explicit LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisnormative identities. It focuses on emotional interiority without engaging in queer-coded subtext.

Gender Representation

Good

The narrative disrupts patriarchal hierarchies by centering an elderly woman's agency. She serves as a catalyst for communal change rather than a passive figure of grief.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The film offers exceptional representation with an all-Black, indigenous cast. It avoids the Western gaze by presenting identities intrinsic to the Lesotho landscape.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

Indigenous spiritualities and communal bonds take precedence over formal religion. The story uses magical realism to explore cyclical time and connections between the living and dead.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities used as central plot devices within the narrative.

Strengths

  • Exceptional representation of an all-Black, indigenous cast reflecting Lesotho's specific cultural landscape.
  • Subverts patriarchal tropes by centering the intellectual and spiritual strength of an elderly female protagonist.
  • Challenges Western storytelling through a magical realist approach that prioritizes indigenous spiritualities and cyclical time.

Areas for Improvement

  • The narrative does not include explicit LGBTQ+ characters or explorations of non-cisnormative identities.
  • There is a lack of representation regarding visible or invisible disabilities within the central plot.

AI Analysis

This film stands as a significant work of decolonial cinema. It achieves its impact by refusing to adhere to Western narrative structures, instead utilizing a magical realist framework to validate indigenous cosmologies. The work effectively disrupts traditional cinematic hierarchies by centering an elderly Black woman as the primary agent of resistance. This shift reclaims agency for communities facing systemic displacement. While the film excels in racial and cultural authenticity, it lacks engagement with LGBTQ+ narratives or specific depictions of disability.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.