Entertainment

Movie Review: ‘Freetown’

Published

11 years ago

April 9, 2015

Oakland Post

Henry Adofo and the cast of “Freetown”

by Dwight Brown
NNPA Film Critic

It’s an urgent escape. Like the Jewish people leaving Germany in the face of imminent death. Only, this journey to freedom takes place in Liberia and involves the personal story of six Christian missionaries. The film, based on true events, feels dramatic and thrilling at moments. Other times, its heavy-handed proselytizing mars the proceedings. While the preachy nature may put off general audiences, it may inspire the faith-based crowd. Who knows?

Director Garrett Batty has a propensity for making movies about missionaries in peril. He made a similar-themed movie in 2013: The Saratov Approach was a dramatic thriller about a 1998 kidnapping of two Mormon missionaries in Russia. Freetown follows that same path. Batty was looking for another faith-based true-life story to develop into a film, he came across the events in Liberia and hired playwright Melissa Leilani Larson to co-write the screenplay with him.

In 1990s Monrovia, Liberia, rebel, gun-toting forces menace the city. They’re looking to weed out and kill a faction known as The Krahn. Six missionaries try to buck the violence and teach Christianity as they baptize locals. They are ardent about their mission, but also have to deal with the realities of war and mayhem. The leader of the group, Elder Menti (Michael Attram), wants to flee. He turns to church member Phillip Abubakar (Henry Adofo), who drives a rickety red Toyota Corollla. Abubakar loads the car, and altogether, the seven men are off, headed to Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone.

Rebels block roads and menace everyone. They don’t seem to have a problem specifically with Christians. However, they are united in their hate of The Krahn. Traveling in the group of faith healers is a man named Gaye (Phillip Michael), a Krahn. Along the perilous journey he will be confronted time and time again, and part of his ordeal is whether he will admit to his background or deny it to survive.

The First Liberian Civil War, an internal conflict in Liberia that raged from 1989 until 1997, killed over 200,000 people and eventually led to the involvement of the United Nations. This tiny slim-focused film fails to reflect the magnitude of that aggression. It sets up the characters, in a very insular way. As you watch the missionaries face danger in their neighborhoods, you have no idea that the entire country is aflame. It would have been helpful if the footage included TV news reports, or radio reports that let the viewer know that there really wasn’t any place to hide.

That lack of perspective is just one of the script’s big faults. The other looming misfire is the tendency for the dialogue to get weighed down in bible talk and spiritual dogma. The characters are set, their dilemma is noted, their antagonists brutal—that’s enough for audiences. If faith and serendipity are going to get the group through their crisis, show it, don’t’ talk about it. The average filmgoer will get the message that the group is blessed and a higher power is looking out for them. Hammering it, over and over again, makes the movie pedantic, like a long-winded sermon.

The film goes on for 116 minutes, when it could have been edited (Connor O’Malley, S. McKay Stevens) down to 100 minutes tops. The cinematography, by Jeremy Prusso, makes the lush landscape of West Africa so inviting. (The film is set in Liberia, but shot in Ghana.) The perfect lighting of the dark complexions makes the skin look radiant. The musical score by Robert Allen Elliott dramatizes the footage in ways it needs at points, though sometimes it is almost overbearing.

Henry Adofo’s performance of the character Phillip Abubakar, who takes the group on a path to freedom, shows a steady, strong undercurrent. Actor and model Michael Attram, as Elder, is photogenic. Phillip Michael as Gaye, the Krahn who wrestles with his identity, shows the most range and depth as he finds a way to show the misery and pride of a people who are being slaughtered.

Freetown doesn’t tell its story with the eloquence and understatement of Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu or the solid dramatic flourishes of Terry George’s Hotel Rwanda. Still, the film depicts a part of African history that is worth knowing and sharing.

Visit NNPA Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.

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Alameda County

The Marin City Flea Market Is Back

The Marin City Flea Market returns on May 23, offering arts, crafts, vintage items, and collectibles. The market aims to uplift local vendors and celebrate cultural diversity.

Published

4 days ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Customers shopping in Marin City Flea Market. Photo courtesy of marincityflea.org.

By Godfrey Lee

After a long absence, Marin City will once again hold its flea market. The market will have its grand opening on Saturday, May 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot on 101 Donahue St. It will be held every fourth Saturday of the month

The market will be free to the public

There will be arts, crafts, vintage, collectibles, and other items on sale at the market. Interested vendors can contact info@marincityflea.org or text (415) 484-2984 for more information.

“The Marin City Flea Market’s mission is to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity, and provide an accessible community space where creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection can thrive,” says their website, marincityflea.org.

The flea market is sponsored and run by the Rotary Club of Marin City.

For more information, contact info@marincityflea.org. Or text to (415) 484-2984

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Mayor Barbara Lee Declares ‘Delroy Lindo Day,’ Presents Acclaimed Actor with Key to the City

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee honored acclaimed actor Delroy Lindo with the Key to the City and declared “Delroy Lindo Day” to celebrate his contributions to film, television, and theater.

Published

4 days ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee presents Oakland actor Delroy Lindo the key to the cCity Council chambers of Oakland City Hall in downtown Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

Oakland honored one of its most distinguished residents on May 6 as Mayor Barbara Lee presented acclaimed actor Delroy Lindo with the Key to the City and an official proclamation declaring “Delroy Lindo Day.”

The event, titled “Rooted in Legacy: Honoring Delroy Lindo,” took place at Oakland City Hall and brought together community leaders, artists, and young people for an evening centered on storytelling, cultural pride, and intergenerational connection.

Lindo, a critically acclaimed artist who lives in Oakland, was recognized for his extensive contributions to film, television, and theater, as well as his impact on the global African diaspora. Most recently the Oscar-nominated artist was recognized for his phenomenal role as a bluesman in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” a winner both critically and at the box office.

His celebrated body of work included roles in “Unprisoned,” “Malcolm X”, “Clockers,” “Get Shorty,” and ”Da 5 Bloods,” among others.

“He’s brought depth, inspiration, and authenticity to the screen,” said Lee.

The program highlighted both Lindo’s artistic legacy and his influence as a mentor. A centerpiece of the evening was an intimate fireside conversation between MLee and Lindo.

“I am a living, breathing example of somebody who has achieved the American Dream,” said Lindo. “The other side of that is I walk through the world as a Black man of African descent.”

At 5 years of age, Lindo played King Balthazar in a Nativity play. And years later on Easter of 1973 in New York the Negro Ensemble Company’s play, “The River Niger” left a great impact on him.

“Seeing that production and so many Blacks in the audience, gave me an understanding that maybe I could have a career as an actor,” said Lindo.

Students from the Oakland School for the Arts delivered powerful monologues, adding a dynamic and emotional layer to the program. The students’ instructor, Tavia Percia, chairman of the school’s theatre department, watched the performance proudly. Their performances emphasized the importance of arts education and demonstrated the next generation of talent inspired by figures like Lindo.

Five young men from All Tied Up Academy had the honor of presenting the “Rooted in Legacy” plaque to Lindo with Lee.

The evening also featured a cinematic showcase of Lindo’s work, offering a retrospective glimpse into his decades-long career.

The Golden State Warriors presented Lindo with a custom jersey, symbolizing the city’s appreciation for his contributions both on and off the screen.

The highlight of the evening came as Lee formally presented Lindo with the Key to the City and read the proclamation establishing “Delroy Lindo Day.” The recognition marked not only his artistic achievements but also his enduring connection to Oakland and his commitment to community engagement.

Celebrities, including filmmaker Ryan Coogler, congratulated Lindo via a video presentation. Lindo did not hold back the tears of gratitude. “I carry Oakland with me wherever I go,” said. Lindo, who is Jamaican via the UK, said he chose the Bay Area to call home with his wife and raise his son.

When young men who grew up with his son entered the council chambers, Lindo welcomed them to the stage for a hug and acknowledgement. “These young men are all honorable. I’ve watched them grow up, and they are the future,” he said. “These are three people that give me hope for this country.”

Addressing the audience, Lindo said, “You are part of the infrastructure of my life. My life would not be as it is without you. You give me more than I give you. Wherever I go, I bring Oakland with me.”

advised everyone to push past negativity of the world.

“Hold onto your dreams, particularly now in this country being fed the constant narrative that ‘we are less than,’ because we know we are more than. And kudos to Mayor Lee at the forefront for decades repping us for Oakland and America.”

“Everyone, hold fast to your purpose and charge as a human being and to the young; go for yours!”

Lindo thanked his many fans, friends, and family in the audience. Attendees included broadcaster Dave Clark, attorney John Burris, former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, Dr. Albert Brooks who delivered his son, and First African Methodist Episcopal Church Rev. Rodney Smith. Screenwriter David Webb Peoples, who gave him his first film role in Australia, “The Blood of Heroes, was also in attendance.