A Screaming Man [DVD] [2010]

The violence that has gripped the nation of Chad finds a parallel in one man's shattered life in this drama from writer and director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. In his youth, Adam (Youssouf Djaoro) was a promising competitive swimmer, and now, at age 55, he's in charge of the pool at an upscale resort hotel. Adam is content in his life with his wife, Mariam (Hadje Fatime Ngoua), and grown son, Abdel (Diouc Koma), but circumstances outside are tearing his world apart. A Chinese firm has taken over the hotel where Adam works, and his new boss, Madame Wang (Li Heling), first fires his best friend, David (Marius Yelolo), from the kitchen staff, and then demotes Adam to gatekeeper. While Adam's professional life is a shambles, his personal life is worse; a local military figure demands that Adam contribute funds to Chad's ongoing civil war, and when he refuses, Abdel is forced to become a soldier for the state. Once Adam realizes the severity of his mistake, it's too late for him to change his mind. Un Homme Qui Crie (aka A Screaming Man) was an official selection at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.~Mark Deming