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BUDDHA COMES TO JOBURG

By Nicole SCHAFER

Documentary - Post-Production 2014

A coming- of-age- story about a Malawian boy from a rural village growing up in a Chinese Buddhist orphanage in Africa.

- Year of production
- 2014
- Genres
- Documentary
- Countries
- SOUTH AFRICA
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Duration
- 80 mn
- Director(s)
- Nicole SCHAFER
- Writer(s)
- Nicole SCHAFER
- Producer(s)
- Nicole SCHAFER, Jean TSIEN
- Synopsis
- Enock Alu Belo, an orphan from a rural village in Malawi finds his life transformed when he is taken to a Chinese Buddhist orphanage near the country’s economic capital, Blantyre. At first the terrified young boy finds it hard to adapt to this foreign world where African children with Chinese names worship the Buddha and recite Confucius off by heart. But over time he finds himself captivated by the Chinese culture, especially Shaolin Kung Fu. He fantasizes about becoming a movie star like Jet Li and helping his community overcome poverty. But who will he really be when he grows up one day? Chinese? African? Or a new form of world citizen? As the global economic scale tips from West to East, Buddha comes to Africa provides a unique glimpse into a remarkable world where Malawian boys and girls learn more about China than they do about the West. Is this the Christian mission station of yester year?