Escape from Luanda is a unique snapshot of Angola – a country that remains far away from the public eye in the West, despite its major role in exporting oil and diamonds to the US and China, and a civil war in which an estimated one million people died
Three students from Angola’s only music school work towards their end-of-year concert, a journey highlighting Angola’s problems: grinding poverty, crime, oppression of women and a shockingly high child mortality rate that is worse than that of Afghanistan.
Press
A touching portrait of Angola’s one and only music school… this thoughtful film deserves attention Christiaan Harden, Documentary.org
As a teaching tool, the well-crafted program offers an intimate look at Angolan city life in the early 21st century, examples of students persevering despite adverse conditions, and a generous helping of empathic human interest – people everywhere struggle to stick to their dreams in the face of familial disapproval, balance work/study and home life, and tease or support each other depending on the situation. Recommended for collections emphasising contemporary Africa or music in everyday life Educational Media Reviews Online
