A Review of Amira's First Film, 'Se'

I have never done a review, but I have never loved anything as much as I do Amira's demeanor. I have a degree in Cinema, and so I am qualified, I would presume. Here it goes.

'Se' is Amira's first short film, though she has coordinated several shot lists for what became her lockdown series 'This is Me' Parts 1-5. These were edited for her in Europe, but she got to see how this was done. With the death of the great movie composer Ennio Morricone, she decided to make her first film. On her official FB site she wrote,

Good evening everyone,
Today I created a video clip all by myself in honour of the great Ennio Morricone who unfortunately passed away yesterday. This is a very romantic song from the movie Cinema Paradiso. It is one of the many heavenly songs composed by Ennio Morricone. With this video, I want to thank Ennio Morricone for all his brilliant compositions that I carry near my heart. I will try my very best to keep Ennio Morricone's music alive

Many thanx to the Tapestry Garden Guest house in Potchefstroom who hosted the video venue in their garden on such short notice this afternoon!!

Hence she is announcing that she had no help on this. It is her first actual film, after a period of studying acting and dance. Her mother Frieda wrote (translating from the Dutch):

Bert Baur this clip was a model of perseverance. Like when she had practiced herself and won Dutch got talent. She had spent 12 hours herself and sorry she didn't know how to do that she figured it out. Eating from rest and giving up woh they don't hear anything. That's Amira in all her glory!!!!

So clearly the family is proud of this film. And I think this pride is well-deserved, and while the film could seem rough to some, I will explain why it is not.

First of all, we must know something about Morricone. He made music scores originally for Italian films in the late 1950s and early 60s. This was the time of the French New Wave, the era of black and white and jump cuts. Early Italian movies were often dubbed and did not have sync sound. Prints we have of these early Italian films are often high contrast and grainy.

Amira must have studied a lot of these films, for all these qualities are in her film. The singing seems to me to be deliberately out of sync at times, and a jump cut is at an interesting time. Her romantic manner of moving is straight out of the past. Amira's atavism is something for which she is known and celebrated. That there still is a creature in this world so beautiful and naturally poised is amazing. The dress and sash she has chosen go with the whole demure manner of her motions. As she herself says, the song by Morricone is very romantic. We should say, even a bit steamy.

"You might have an idea of what I feel, when you hug me tightly to you, and chest to chest we breathe together . . . If you were in my soul, you'd know what I feel in me"

Of all the songs from a career of 400 scores, she has chosen this one, 'Se' (If), from Cinema Paradiso to sing in her tribute to Morricone.

I think this film is not just a tribute to her hero Morricone; I think Amira is also letting us know about her other skills she is developing, drama and dance, the ability to finally move away from the microphone, something long missing in her repertoire of stage talents, ironic from an accomplished athlete like her. It is a letter to Hollywood, and says, 'Look out, here I come.'