In the opening scene of A Taste Of Our Land, Rwandan native Yohani (Michael Wawuyo) assures his pregnant wife Maria (Princess Aliya, a model of stoicism) that “everything will be fine” despite a very expensive C-section being necessary. See, this struggle is only the beginning of the troubles for our protagonists in this heavy-handed drama written and directed by Yuhi Amuli. See, a Chinese man, Cheng (Peter Kye), is overseeing the transformation of Yohani’s land into a mine on behalf of his Madame (whose only heard, never seen). Both of them hope to strike it rich, and Cheng is not above beating his employees over anything he considers an infraction, even if it’s not actually one.
The catch is that they have yet to get permission or pay Yohani for this act. Yohani’s best bud, Gangi (Michael Ssegujja), tries and fails to walk the thin line between loyalties: the boss with the paycheck and his pal. At the center of this all is a 1000-karat hunk of gold, fortuitously found amongst the usual coal. After being briefly admired, it slips down a sludgy mine hole, perhaps gone forever. Yohani accepts the challenge to recover the gold only after Cheng promises enough cash to more than pay for Maria’s fast-approaching labor pains.
Even though A Taste Of Our Land was initially produced in 2020, there are some fascinating links to the present day. Having a convict/bully overseeing a large organization passes the litmus test in seconds. Hilariously, the posted sign (“No drinking before duty”) just outside of the mining shaft can’t help but conjure up Pete Hegseth’s wobbly chances of being confirmed as Secretary of Defense. These parallels offer a bit of interest that the uneven script is unable to. Cheng’s vital quest eventually wears thin as time marches on, and there’s no real subplot of side narrative to latch onto.
“Yohani accepts the challenge to recover the gold…”
Thank goodness for the strong technical aspects. The original score from Cecile Kayiregawa and Vincent Niyigaba is driving and intense. The opening chorus and soprano interventions keep the ear engaged as Joshua Alibet’s deft cinematography brings everything into focus. The final moment (which filmgoers will see a mile away) sums up the perennial folly of the perils of going for the gold when, in most circumstances, a bronze would do deftly.
The acting is a mixed bag. Wawuyo ably carries the film from stem to stern, reliably being charismatic and heartbreaking. Aliya is a model of stoicism and really plays up the stakes as best she can. On the opposite end is Kye. He’s unable to land a convincing punch, much less make all watching feel the menace the character is meant to represent. His boyish looks and overall demeanor make his nastiness seem totally unbelievable. Ssegujja puts in a good effort but is unable to overcome the wobbly writing for his character. Jonathan Wadley’s portrayal of the token white man, Donald, fires on all cylinders until they run out of fuel. Panagiotis Karakitsos portrays a Panagiotis Karakitsos in one of the only genuinely affecting sequences with yet another link to present-day double dealings.
A Taste Of Our Land is uneven, to say the least. The pacing is uneven, as the opening grabs you, but the story becomes predictable and then tedious. Some of the actors are strong, while others get lost in the poor characterizations, and others still just are not convincing in the least. However, the technical aspects, such as the music and cinematography, are well-done and give the film a sense of drama that the narrative never quite reaches.
"…strong technical aspects."
