Global Film Festival 2020 - Crazy World
Global Film Festival
For nigh-on a decade now, Nabwana IGG and his cohort of merry men at Ramon Film Productions have been making a string of infectious, gonzo action films. Hailing from the Wakaliga slum in Uganda’s capital city Kampala, these micro-budget features – sometimes costing as a little as $65 – have transcended their financial constraints, using self-awareness and an unbridled joy of filmmaking to their advantage.
The studio’s latest release, Crazy World, is actually an international repackaging of their 2015 film, The Crazy World: A Waka Starz Movie, a typically boisterous blend of comedy and action. The story concerns the “crazy” Tiger Mafia, led by the pint-sized Mr Big, who abduct the local children for reasons that are never entirely disclosed. Unbeknownst to them, their captives are the Waka Starz, a select group of children who specialise in teamwork and martial arts; simultaneously, the parents are plotting their “REVENGE, Uganda style”, with all parties converging on Tiger Mafia’s base.
Like with breakout success Who Killed Captain Alex? and 2016’s Bad Black, Crazy World uses a video jockey named Emmie – or Video Joker for Wakaliwood’s purposes – to comment on the events of the film; it is not so much a narration, but rather a running commentary that seeks to both inform and entertain. This is used to significant comedic effect, with the mix of running jokes and off-the-hand quips (“Van Damme! Van Dammage! Uganda Dammage!”) all being underpinned by an excellent sense of timing. In a film that dials everything up to eleven, there is actually some nuance to be found in this voice-over.
Akin to Guy Ritchie films, the characters are given wacky names and personal characteristics; Bruce U is “the world’s best cop . . . and father”, Isaac Newton is the leader of the Waka Starz, while Dauda Bisaso is a former commander-turned-nutjob who lives in the dump; even after countless reminders, it is virtually impossible to remember what purpose everyone serves, but one would wager that is the desired effect.
The focus is on the action, a mix of gunplay and martial arts in which speed and tempo are meddled with to hilarious effect. Even with the budgetary restrictions, the fights are often well choreographed and easy to follow. Even without the behind-the-scenes snippet that precedes the main feature, it is clear that real care has gone into the training of these sequences. Underpinning these scenes is the bombastic sound effects and PS1-esque visual effects, which when combined lead to a goldmine for humour; even though Nabwana and co. might never admit it, part of the fun of these features is working out what is intentionally bad.
Additionally, a segment depicting the Piracy Police has been retained after its rapturous response following the film’s premiere in the Midnight Madness section at TIFF last year. It is hard not to be moved by this story; Nabwana fulfilled his lifelong dream of visiting a cinema, while VJ Emmie was there to perform a live performance of the voice-track. Even though worldwide events have meant the film industry is presently in a state of flux, the Global Film Festival seems like a perfect springboard for Wakaliwood, for what they lack in resources and craft they more than make up for in passion and joy. In times such as these, Crazy World is a welcome distraction.