QUICK’N DIRTY: LIVE FROM THE RED SEA
Evaline Wambua Mutuku works in a men’s world. She drives long haul between Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. She often talk to her children on her mobile telephone while behind the wheel. The communication is unnerving because roads are perilous, yet somehow she manages to juggle both tasks effortlessly. This is a woman who defies obstacles to in order to pursue her dreams. This is a documentary about resilience, the power of Black women, and a mother’s unflinching for her children. It also offers interesting insight into life, culture and the landscapes of East Africa.
The film begins in Mombasa, Kenya. Eva is a single mom, pregnant with her second child. She says she wants to have a family. She has to put her work on hold tn order to have her new baby. Fast-forward two years and Eva is back is on the driver’s seat, transporting oil from Kenya to South Sudan. She is the only woman in a convoy of rugged men, who all seem to respect her.Maybe she is the toughest of them all. She quips: “Sudanese men have big snakes”, before applying her work know-how to the joke: “it’s all a matter of calibration”. Her male colleagues accept her cheeky demeanour. She’s part of the gang.
This is a movie about powerful women, both in front and behind the camera. Director Zippy jumps on the lorry with Eva, turning the film into a 12-day mirror experience. The South Sudanese roads are extremely precarious, and the vehicle inevitably breaks down. There is no car service, and there are no tools. Eva loses her breaks but not her mind. She carries out the repair herself. The men just observe from a respectful distance, never offering to lend a hand. Eva is a tough cookie. The breakdown makes the return journey even more uncertain and perilous. This segment of the film turns into a nail-biting thriller. A little bit like William Friedkin’s Sorcerer (1997) – with an all-female cast instead.
One sequence might leave vegans and queasy viewers on edge: Evaline catches some large insects and cooks them. The two women savour the delicatessen with undiluted pleasure. That’s an impactful scene showcasing the peculiarities of African culture. Fittingly, a “SMILE AFRICA” sign is emblazoned on the lorry.This sums up Eva’s attitude: when life gives you lemons make lemonade.
Truck Mama is the only documentary at this year’s competition of the Red Sea Film Festival. The movie had its world premiere at IDFA, in Amsterdam, earlier this year.
