I must say there are some ratings on the IMDb which do not indicate how good some films are. I wrote similar comments for the Turkish film "Propaganda," a brilliant comedy and cultural study which was alas never released here. There are some films which are also vastly overrated, including a documentary I just saw called "The Realm of the Unreal." "Quartier Mozart" is definitely a better film than is indicated here. It has been a decade since I saw the film at a special screening at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, Va. I subsequently met the director a few years after that. I have noticed that many tend to give African films lower ratings. I guess the reason for this is that people are turned away by the lower production values in terms of technology. But, films like "Quartier Mozart" give us fascinating stories that we in the West don't see, and certainly not on a daily basis. I also recall "Quartier Mozart" has a Felliniesque surrealist quality about it. I think these two factors are why people give it a lower score than what it really merits. Alas, this film is not on DVD though several African films, such as "Our Father" from Chad, are becoming available. I doubt I will ever go to Cameroon as mostly assuredly many of us will not, but I can't think of a better way to glimpse into their culture than viewing this film. I only wish I could see it again, some how. And, lastly, I do not know if he is still a member of the faculty there but from what I gather Mr. Bekolo is now a professor at UNC.
