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A Screaming Man

Play trailer Poster for A Screaming Man 2011 1h 32m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 41 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Aging Adam Ousmane (Youssouf Djaoro), who was once an up-and-coming Chadian swimmer, now manages the pool at a prestigious local resort. When the new Chinese managers of the establishment decide to downsize, Adam loses his job to his own son, Abdel (Dioucounda Koma). Shattered by this demeaning turn of events, Adam is pressured into contributing to the Chadian war effort. With no money to speak of, the only asset he can donate is his son, who is then abducted into the Chadian army.

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A Screaming Man

A Screaming Man

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Critics Consensus

A Screaming Man deftly uses its personal look at a family dynamic to offer pointed political observations, confirming writer-director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun as a major talent.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Okoi-Obuli Shadow and Act 04/21/2017
An elegant character study of father & son. Go to Full Review Philip French Guardian 05/15/2011
A Screaming Man is a quiet film about family life, the relationship between fathers and children, and the way generations can shape and reshape each other. It ultimately has a sublime quality. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard 05/13/2011
4/5
This is not only a good-looking, well directed and splendidly shot and acted film. It is an unforgettable snapshot of a failed country, and one of the best films in London at the moment. Go to Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row 08/05/2019
3.5/4
It's a story of sprawling scope on a deeply personal scale, using the family at its core as a microcosm for greater societal tragedy. Go to Full Review Michael Sicinski Cinema Scope 11/27/2017
The director finds himself artistically stranded between the allegorical impulse and the will to historicize. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 05/05/2013
A
Engrossing arty melodrama that brilliantly blends together a tragic political and psychological story set in modern-day Chad. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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10/31/2016 Adam is the pool attendant at a posh hotel in Chad. He's a former champion swimmer, and has had the job for decades. His son works under him as an assistant pool attendant. When the hotel is bought by new management, Adam finds himself moved to tending the front gate while his son takes over the pool. He's humiliated by the drop in status. Meanwhile, the army has been fighting rebels and is demanding contributions from all citizens to the cause. When Adam cannot come up with any money, he secretly gives up his son to the military, meeting his obligation and getting back his old job in the process. However, the guilt eats away at him, especially when his son's pregnant girlfriend shows up. A well-regarded film that won the Jury Prize at Cannes, it was a little too slow for me, especially in the last act. See more Leaburn O @RT35452347 08/16/2015 First Chadian film I've ever seen. Hoping the second will be a lot better... clearly influenced by the French cinematic approach, this film is light on plot, insight, character development and heavy on prolonged scenes of silence. Watch on fast forward and you won't miss much. Painfully dull but interesting to see the conflict in Chad given some prominence. See more 02/22/2014 winner of the cannes 2010 grand jury prize this drama deals with the fall out of civil war in chad where this is filmed. See more 11/11/2013 Very sad. This film is not violent, loud, or shocking. It is gentle, and it shows the emotional side of life, without the fluffy words and posing of other films trying to depict such. Don't watch it if you want action and drama. Do watch it if you are feeling analytical and like you want to love and forgive human beings for the weak, egotistical and selfish beings that we are. See more 05/31/2013 Not as gripping as I thought. See more 04/06/2013 A Screaming Man is an extremely well played meditation on what it is like to have your world flipped upside down in a heartbeat, and how one makes amends with the unpredictability of life. Highly Recommended. See more Read all reviews
A Screaming Man

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Cast & Crew

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Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Director

Youssouf Djaoro

Adam

Diouc Koma

Abdel

Emile Abossolo M'bo

Le chef de quartier

Marius Yelolo

David

Djénéba Koné

Djeneba

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A Screaming Man

A Screaming Man (2010) Mahamat-Saleh Haroun on the set of "A Screaming Man." Youssouf Djaoro as Adam in "A Screaming Man." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Aging Adam Ousmane (Youssouf Djaoro), who was once an up-and-coming Chadian swimmer, now manages the pool at a prestigious local resort. When the new Chinese managers of the establishment decide to downsize, Adam loses his job to his own son, Abdel (Dioucounda Koma). Shattered by this demeaning turn of events, Adam is pressured into contributing to the Chadian war effort. With no money to speak of, the only asset he can donate is his son, who is then abducted into the Chadian army.
Director
Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Producer
Florence Stern
Screenwriter
Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Distributor
Film Movement
Production Co
Entre Chien et Loup, Pili Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 13, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 2, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.9K
Runtime
1h 32m
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