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★★★
Directed by: #TanmaySrivastava
Written by: #JudithCarreon & #TanmaySrivastava
Narrated by: #AlainAzoulay
1972. The expulsion of the Asian community from the East African nation of Uganda. Racial hatred and military hostility plagues the land. 90 Days to Leave captures the racially charged era of the 1970s, including political opposition, discrimination, education and employment.
The crippling affect that racism has on our world is continuous and troubling. It’s been embedded in our history for hundreds of years and it still exists today, though in smaller numbers, it’s no less frightening and no less harmful. 90 Days to Leave documents the racism present in Uganda in the early 70s and beyond; between the Asians and Ugandan Africans. In our present time, the biggest example of discrimination and hatred (this past year in the spotlight) has been between white and Black people. But there is far more dirt in the seams of our ever-cracking world and 90 Days to Leave shows us just a snippet of it.
As this tightly edited documentary shows, racial prejudice and discrimination can cause people to lose out on jobs, places to call home, and in some cases, a life. Setting itself firmly in the era of the 1970s, 90 Days to Leave showcases the disgusting nature of racism, the affect it has on a community, and the outcome of having to relocate to a different country. Forcefully pushed to Britain (and other countries in America and Asia), the Asian community essentially began anew, and when they were invited back to Uganda years later, many felt inclined to stay in the land they now called home.
To be sure, there’s a lot going on in this documentary, and with its narration by Alain Azoulay, it definitely employs a knowledgeable tone. It’s unfortunate that it isn’t a longer piece, though. 90 Days to Leave is touching on an important subject and it deserves more time to explain, and in some way, breathe. This is a stuffed documentary, given its duration, but one that actually does educate a fair amount. Though it must be said that the 15-minute runtime means it works more as an introductory piece, than an information packet full of charged knowledge.
It’s a sharp documentary with collected archival footage from events and interviews years prior, and trickles through these at a fast pace. The downside to any documentary providing information on such events as this, is that when compiled into a shorter duration, it can mean that a lot of key points are left on the cutting room floor. 90 Days to Leave is certainly a great little package, but it feels as if there could be so much more included to really drive it in.
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