A teenager from Rotterdam attempts to make amends for totalling his grandmother’s car in Shamira Raphaëla’s fun, uplifting documentary.
Shamira Raphaëla originally set out to make a film about the aspirations of four teenagers living in Rotterdam’s De Peperklip social housing complex – a striking architectural feat with a sprawling cylindrical silhouette. When one of these four youngsters called to give her the news that he probably couldn’t participate as he took his grandmother’s car on a joyride and totalled it, Raphaëla saw her film’s trajectory laid out before her.
Shabu opens with the larger-than-life teenager of the title being remotely scolded by his grandmother and physically nagged on by the rest of his family to come up with the sum of €1,200 to cover repair costs. On a quest to redeem himself before his grandmother returns from her sojourn in Suriname, he decides to balance big responsibilities with the even bigger ambition of making a name for himself in the music industry. It’s two birds with one stone, then – organising a party in De Peperklip and charging guests for admission.
The film moves more like a narrative feature than a documentary, its playful editing and musical embellishments adding a sheen seldom seen outside of fiction filmmaking. Some contrivances make it difficult to believe that everything we see is borne out of unbridled spontaneity, or that there are no strings being pulled behind the camera, but there’s no doubt about the candour at the heart of the project, and the charm of its central subject make it infinitely watchable.
Little White Lies is committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them.
Published 5 Jul 2023
The trailer emanates wholesome vibes.
Makes for very pleasant summertime viewing.
Vivid! Fun! Uplifting! Light!
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