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Oka! Amerikee

Play trailer Poster for Oka! Amerikee 2011 1h 46m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 41% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
An American ethnomusicologist lives among Africa's Bayaka Pygmies for 25 years.

Critics Reviews

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Michael O'Sullivan Washington Post 01/20/2012
1.5/4
It's a pleasant, if slow-moving, trip down a lazy river. Go to Full Review
Walter V. Addiego San Francisco Chronicle 10/27/2011
2/4
The plot is somewhat pedestrian and the dialogue needs more zip. Go to Full Review
Kalvin Henely Slant Magazine 10/17/2011
2/4
The film somehow feels more fanciful than factual, a rift that's aggravated by the juxtaposition of the real actors' performances and the Bayaka pygmies' at times startling real presence. Go to Full Review
Beth Accomando KPBS.org 11/18/2011
Despite some missteps and awkwardness, Oka! proves compelling and engaging. Currier captures the beauty of the African landscape, and she takes the time to document the Bayaka culture with care and compassion. Go to Full Review
Brent Simon Shockya.com 10/31/2011
B
A unique and fascinating tale of cultural connection, and the elemental nature of various human curiosities that bind us together. Go to Full Review
Maitland McDonagh Film Journal International 10/24/2011
Slow to start and rambling when it gets going, Oka! nevertheless offers small pleasures, not least a glimpse of life deep in the African rainforest. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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R 9 03/21/2023 I'll likely effectively not remember 'Oka!' in a few days. It's not necessarily 'bad' - 'forgettable' is more apt. Kris Marshall feels like quite odd casting, but he does the job no doubt. Will Yun Lee, Isaach de Bankolé and Mapumba do their bit too, but to be honest I wouldn't say it's a film that has noteworthing acting/actors. Elsewhere, the story is meh - I didn't really get into it unfortunately. Also, is it just me or do the wild animals (namely the elephants) look uncanny, I genuinely couldn't tell if they used special effects or not. All in all, I wouldn't recommend this one. I rate the Central African Republic visuals, mind. See more 05/28/2015 Warning: Netflix screwed up the subtitles royally. They DON'T TRANSLATE the african or french dialog in this movie, they just flash "[speaking in foreign language]" on the screen. As a result you will miss many important plot points, because literally more than half the dialog is lost. Unbelievably stupid move by Netflix!!! BUT you can download a subtitle file and read it while you watch, cumbersome but at least the movie becomes intelligible. You can get one here: http://www.subtitles.at/oka/7 Or search for Oka movie subtitles. Open the .srt file with a text editor and follow the timing data above each line. As far as the movie goes, the acting and the plot are pretty good, nothing great.The big attraction is lots of local color. You really feel like you're in Africa. The pygmies are fascinating and the scenery is gorgeous. Well filmed. I only wish there was more pygmy music in it! See more 02/12/2012 Solid, entertaining film - serious, funny, and enlightening. Highly recommendable, yet nothing particularly dazzling about it. See more Read all reviews
Oka! Amerikee

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis An American ethnomusicologist lives among Africa's Bayaka Pygmies for 25 years.
Director
Lavinia Currier
Producer
James Bruce, Lavinia Currier
Screenwriter
Lavinia Currier, Suzanne Stroh, Louis Sarno
Distributor
Required Viewing, Dada Films
Production Co
Roland-Film, James Bruce Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 14, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 21, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$18.4K
Runtime
1h 46m