Walking Away

by Charlotte Metcalf

Charlotte Metcalf has made documentary films all over Africa, and her director's eye for unforgettable people, location and attention to detail now transfers vividly to the printed page. We feel the heat, smell the smells, and sweat with Charlotte as she battles against bureaucratic inertia and incompetence, hostility and political pressure to record the often unwelcome truth. Charlotte's journal, like her award-winning films, is a close-up of Africa's deep-rooted problems—from survival issues like AIDS, famine and cholera, to the unspeakable and ritual maltreatment of women. She presents a moving picture of African heroism in the face of the kind of suffering we would all prefer to walk away from—but know we no longer can. This is a book for anyone who cares about the human condition.

391 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2003

Reviews

[Simon Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an honest account of Charlotte’s experience of Africa and love and respect of Africans. It is not for the squeamish as some of the practices and suffering described are quite brutal with all details included. However, it mainly avoids being judgemental, much like the genre of the documentaries that Charlotte describes she was making, but leaves the reader in no doubt of the struggles many groups of individuals have in this huge and diverse continent.

[Bettina · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off: Metcalf clearly is not a writer. That's okay, she is a film maker after all. But dont read this expecing literary greatness. Her chapters are filled with repetitions an platitudes. For every single character, she goes into great detail as to whethershe considers them attractiv or not. We get it - she likes beautiful women and dislikes overweight people.

That said, her book has good stories to tell. She has clearly lived an exciting life, and the episodes she tells from every single country are captivating. I also like the honesty in her own voice, her admission of less than perfect motivations and consequences, and her struggles with her own position - voyeur or reporter?

Definitely worth a read.

[Nmdb22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting collection of stories about the films the author made in Africa. I didn't think I would like this book, having spent more than 20 years in Africa, there is so much more to the continent than the exposition of the problems of female genital cutting, child brides and AIDS. However, I could sooooo identify with the places she went, the hotels she stayed in, the small misunderstandings with coworkers and local people, the delight in discovery and the dilemma of addressing cultural beliefs and traditions that are harmful that I ended up really liking the book. It's not moralistic or preachy, but human and real and well worth reading.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good insight into the utter chaos that is everyday lfe in sub-saharan africa,from a person who makes educational films