Oka!

Given only a few months to live due to oncoming liver failure, a young musicologist named Larry (Kris Marshall) travels to Africa to record the sound of an ancient pygmy instrument being played before it’s too late. Along with the problem of staying alive long enough to find the instrument, as well as a musician who can play it, Larry finds himself up against greedy Chinese businessmen, corrupt government officials, the dwindling pygmy habitat and, as if he doesn’t have enough on his plate, a pygmy wife who wants him to put down his microphones and learn to hunt for their supper. It’s all a bit overwhelming for Larry –and for the audience. But there’s a generous spirit in the way director Lavinia Currier paces the film that allows you to follow along at your own pace. Marshall is, as always, an engaging presence on the screen, although his choice of/ability to do an American accent is unfortunate.