A-List: OKA!
Here’s a great movie to add to your Netflix queue: “OKA!” It follows the story of Larry, a young American ethnomusicologist who spends much of his career documenting the music of the Bayaka pygmies of Yandombe, deep in the lush rainforests of the Central African Republic. On a fund raising trip to the States, Larry discovers that he is ill and cannot go back to Yandombe. Despite the doctor’s orders, he decides to go back — he has a feeling that the Bayaka people need him.
And they do. When Larry arrives, he finds out that a timber corporation is threatening to drive out the Bayaka people from their homes, changing their traditional way of life. Despite Larry’s illness, he helps the Bayaka figure out a way to keep their culture, music and dignity — and learns a lot about life along the way.
With its colorful visuals, powerful soundtrack and moving storyline, “OKA!” offers a rare glimpse into the daily life of one of the most remote peoples on the planet. Read more about the film here.
