Somewhat difficult to watch

Rating: 9/10 (2 January 2016)

As an independent, or whatever subcategory a Netflix production would fall into... This was indeed a high-quality film and an intoxicating story. Having spent a large amount of quality time as deep as an American can get in West Africa,these characters are real people or as close as the cinema can take you. All of the foibles are present. I found myself frequently saying "I sincerely hope viewers realize how close to reality this is for this subject." Young Mr. Attah and his comrades in this film certainly must've been uncomfortable at different points for various reasons.
This film is half a step removed from being a documentary. We are presented with yet another film with the cinematography does not escape an individual has actually been to the areas of the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin. Congratulations for authenticity. Unfortunately, one would hope that the plight of the youth of such countries to include Senegal, Sierra Leone and Liberia (and so many others) would not go unnoticed.
Refreshing, necessary, a topic of frequently under-discussed subject matter this is an important film and should be watched by the mass. In spite of the discomfort that may be caused, it is a necessity to start dialogue and hopefully a degree of activism, or at a minimum awareness.
We will see how it fares on the road to the Oscars... Definitively worth viewing, a necessity of ownership for all self proclaimed humanitarians.