Going Bongo (2015)
Dr. Berger happily lands a job at the prestigious Beverly Hills medical centre in Los Angeles and is eager to impress his new boss. After attending a Gala arranged by his superiors, he “mistakenly” volunteers to go work in Africa for a month at an under-resourced hospital. Leaving his fiancé behind, this American Doctor heads out to Tanzania to follow through with his promise.
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Memorable, crazy movie
It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
A must see film for anyone going to volunteer or work in Tanzania. Ernest Napoleon, producer and lead actor, succinctly reveals the most inspiring and devastating experiences that many people will have trying to understand another country and culture. The film is funny, sensitive and inspiring. The characters represent you and me and a lot can be learnt. Easy to watch and just as you think it may become clichéd it twists and will make you smile. Congratulations to all involved. The cinematography is beautiful and the viewer gets a feel of real life in Tanzania. The clash of cultures, Tanzania and America, are humorously illustrated and apt. i watched this film yesterday at the Zanzibar International Film Festival and it received a standing ovation.
This is a truly inspirational film. It's an enjoyable drama with some highly comical scenes. The film is the story of Dr Burger, played by Ernest Napoleon, who is coerced by his girlfriend, played by the gorgeous Ashley Olds, into signing up for a month's work in a third world hospital.The drama then takes us to this foreign, uncomfortable world of Dar es Salaam. The films title, Going Bongo means going to Bongo, the nickname for Dar es Salaam. Perhaps more crucially for the plot, "Ubongo" means "Brain" in Swahili hence the double meaning of Going Bongo.The visual imagery and soundtrack are fascinating, not since I saw Leonardo Dicaprio in the film The Beach, have I had this uncomfortable feeling of being in a foreign, almost alien world.The film is based upon a true story of a French doctor, that left Europe to test his medical skills in Africa. The film was shot inside a real hospital in Tanzania, which provides a realism that would have been difficult to create in a studio. I just love the piles of printed hospital notes, that you wouldn't see in a modern, computer based medical facility. We then meet the lovely Laura, a local doctor played by Emanuela Galliussi. We also meet the leading Kenyan actress Nyokabi Gethaiga.There is some really appealing authentic music, that adds to the mood and enjoyment throughout.I'm sure that after watching Going Bongo, you'll be left with many compelling reasons to love the film and to fall in love with Tanzania. It's a great film, I enjoyed every minute, and I'm sure you will too.
Ernest Napoleon was fantastic and extraordinarily incarnated the role.I watched the film "Going Bongo" in London on 04.06.2015. As African, originally from Democratic Republic of Congo I was impressed by the value of this film by the fact this film highlights hard conditions which people in Africa achieve their duties. My advice is that this film can be used as catalyst in development fora. Ernest Napoleon was very impressive and very intelligent in his reactions as strange when he arrived in Tanzania. I am sure that the time he passed in Africa before to go to America has helped him. But he is naturally very clever and wise.