Ghanaian-American Hip-Hop artist Blitz The Ambassador just released this short film, Native Sun, to promote his new album of the same name. I have not heard this album (although snippets of the music are featured throughout the film), but since Blitz had a hand in writing, co-directing, narrating, composing, and even making a cameo appearance in this film (as the photographer), I felt it was necessary to write up a little background on who he is.
As for the film itself, I was really stunned by its beautiful photography (shot by Shawn Peters), simple, yet gripping story, picturesque locales (it was filmed on location in Ghana), and lively, poetic narration (in what sounds to be some sort of Ghanaian Pidgin English; any incite from anyone who recognizes the dialect would be helpful).
In short, this is a real interesting little film, and it is not at all what you would expect from a promotional film for a Hip-Hop album. Really, it shouldn’t be thought of that way at all, because this little story stands quite strong on its own and should be enjoyed for its own merits. I felt the ending was a bit anti-climactic, but maybe that’s just because I didn’t want it to end. Please, if you have a spare 20-or-so minutes, you can watch the whole thing (full screen!) right at the top of the page. 4.5/5
instantcritic 