Almost two hours into an bold critique of colonialism that runs virtually twice as lengthy, a pivotal scene brings “I Solely Relaxation within the Storm” into sharp focus. The protagonist, a Portuguese engineer on project in Guinea Bissau, encounters a intercourse employee. He fails to get excited and in an try and clean issues over tries to provoke dialog along with her about her life. She’s rightfully indignant as he’s losing her time and tells him that what disgusts her most are good males, those that act as in the event that they care when the truth is they simply need to be ok with themselves.  

This scene encapsulates most of the matters on the thoughts of Portuguese director Pedro Pinho — particularly, the results of colonization on up to date Africa and the way makes an attempt at modernization may be a hindrance fairly than a approach ahead. The movie follows Sergio (Sérgio Coragem), who’s despatched to Guinea Bissau in West Africa to research whether or not a highway mission between the desert and the forest is viable. There he meets many various folks, each for and in opposition to the mission. Some see it as a approach to modernize and generate jobs on this growing nation, whereas others see it as an finish to their lifestyle as an agrarian economic system. 

Segio tries to make connections with the locals he meets. Nevertheless, most are suspicious of him and his motives. There are those that contemplate him as a nuisance to be rid of and others who see him as a pretty shiny object to try to affect. Maybe they’ll revenue from him or additional their very own objectives. Actually, the aforementioned intercourse employee was most likely most correct: Nevertheless noble his intentions, Sergio appears passive and doesn’t know the place his priorities ought to be — a stand-in for the incompetent do-gooders from former colonizing nations who run NGOs attempting to higher lives in nations they don’t perceive.

There are a number of tales in “I Solely Relaxation within the Storm,” starting from humorous to overly dramatic, simple to stuffed with metaphors, because the movie follows Sergio by Guinea Bissau. Every of them performs like a standalone vignette that might make a brief movie, and as with a brief movie program made up of a number of tales, some are stronger than others. Although the characteristic’s demanding size manages to point out how colonization stored evolving all through historical past, it additionally assessments the viewers’s persistence. At instances, Pinho contains dry scenes the place tangential characters deal with the digicam with historic info. To his credit score, the director by no means comes up with simple solutions, however fairly makes the viewers confront their prejudices. “I Solely Relaxation within the Storm” has huge ambitions however generally will get overwhelmed by all of the thematic matters it needs to cowl. 

Other than Sergio, solely two different characters recur all through, each of whom maintain a romantic curiosity for him. The viewers is first launched to Diara, a charismatic bar proprietor (performed by Cleo Diára, who gained an performing award for her efficiency at Cannes). In a protracted scene that might be taken from a Seventies thriller, Sergio meets Diara as she’s attempting to flee a person following her by a busy market. She makes use of Sergio as a decoy, and he’s instantly smitten with this stranger within the blond wig. The opposite character is Guilherme, or Gui (Jonathan Guilherme), a femme nonbinary Brazilian expat who traveled to Africa to develop a deeper reference to their ancestry. They develop into the one who challenges Sergio’s motives in coming to Guinea Bissau as a European from a former colonizing nation. 

Coragem has a pleasing display presence, but the character is persistently the least attention-grabbing particular person in no matter scenario he’s put in. Deliberately, he serves because the viewers surrogate, however he’s so passive that questions come up about why we must always care about his plight in any respect. No marvel Diára and Guilherme fare higher, as their characters are extra participating. They take motion, repeatedly confronting Sergio. Although he appears enamored with each of them, he takes no motion to additional a relationship with both, ready for them to take the initiative. Segio’s ineptitude stands in for all do-gooders who by no means take a agency stand and would fairly discuss than make change — a tricky project for the actor, however one which inserts in thematically with the remainder of the movie.

“I Solely Relaxation within the Storm” is the sort of movie that thrives in a rarefied cinematic setting like Cannes, providing so many speaking factors that audiences exit the movie eager to argue about it with one another. It provokes, entertains and annoys in equal measure and thus will encourage admirers and detractors alike. One hopes it travels past movie festivals and into native cinemas world wide, particularly within the International South, the place “I Solely Relaxation within the Storm” would most probably result in essentially the most passionate conversations, from folks harking back to its characters.