Esther and the Spirits

At age 17, teenagers begin thinking of their future. Esther is no exception, at the start of 2008, in a little village in the Central African Republic. But her future is overshadowed by past events. She calls them “evil spirits”, but these nightmares which prevent her from sleeping are part of an all-too-human tragedy. Six years ago, soldiers crossed the river, killed her father, and raped her mother, her sister and herself. Despite the shame they feel, Esther and her family try to go on living. And the teenager’s smile, as she imagines herself grown up and a mother, is priceless. Heidi Specogna has made this film with respect and love. The sisters’ trust enabled her to capture some splendid moments of intimacy, as when they play the game of opposites and, in so doing, name the world. “When I first met them, they were looking at a book full of pictures of the victims of Congolese mercenaries. Eight years later, their commander, Jean-Pierre Bemba, was sentenced for his crimes, but the wounds do not heal” (HS).

Luciano Barisone

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