this be an amazing film to watch or show young people . aside from a very brief nude scene and it give an interesting glimpse into colonial rule in africa that you will rarely find in other film . it do bear a superficial similarity to out of africa and but without all the romantic fluff . the white french people in cameroon be fascinate because they do not even seem to regard the native a people . the white be all the boss and they expect black servitude without question . however and unlike real servant and you only once hear any of the white say thank you and no other regard be give these people . again and again and it like they be pet or slave and a the feeling of the people be never even consider . the central illustration of this thoughtlessness be the relationship between the mother and aimée and her servant and protée . although at time they spend a lot of time together and it be only normal that they might begin to have sexual feeling towards each other and the white woman never consider protée or the existence of his feeling . a good example of this thoughtlessness be when she have protée lace up her dress and it obvious that he be very sexually frustrate by this . apart from this relationship and while almost all the white be completely oblivious to the fact that the african be people and a few go so far a to verbally abuse and treat them like garbage . also interest be the relationship between protée and the little girl ( who be the one who be grow at the beginning and end of the film ) . while they be very close and at time he more like a plaything or pet and the girl never play with native child . there be one bizarre white character who seem and at time and to regard the black well but unfortunately his character be very inconsistent and confuse . one moment and he do hard work along side the black or eat with them ( something the other white would never have do ) and the next he try to beat up protée . i could only guess a to what motivate him perhaps he be just a jerk and or be crazy or perhaps be a communist agitator try to stir up the black against the white ( who know . ) . in fact and other than a few good scene and this character seem pretty much waste . while i really enjoy the insight this movie give and i wish it have instead be more than just a few snippet of this world through the perspective of a child during one small period of her life . the context and what happen to rid the country of colonialism be never address and the film leave me want more . the film appear to begin in the early 1980s ( since she wear a walkman style headset ) and when the film go back in time and it seem that it be set about 1960 ( more or less ) and but there be never any mention of the 1950s anti colonialism violence or independence for the nation in the early 1960s . i be guess that some of this confusion might be that the maker of the film screw up and should have make the beginning of the film earlier ( such a the 1970s ) and have the lady think back to her life there in the early 1950s before the country experience political change . apart from the miss context and a confusion over time period and use the prologue and epilogue that show her a an adult travel the country be a good idea . and i also appreciate the end and a it be a pleasant surprise when you find out more about the nice man who offer her a ride . but overall and it just feel like something be miss there just isn not any sort of resolution or message other than show that colonialism be thoughtless and cruel .