Africa, How Are You with Pain?

A contemplative documentary that offers a fragmented yet deeply human portrait of contemporary Africa. Rather than following a traditional narrative, the film is structured as a series of encounters across several African countries. Depardon travels through regions such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, filming conversations, landscapes, and everyday situations. People speak directly to the camera, often responding to the film's central question-"How are you coping with pain?"-which can be understood both literally and metaphorically. The documentary gives space to individual voices-farmers, workers, refugees, and urban residents-who reflect on hardship, dignity, and survival. With its minimalist style and long, steady shots, the film emphasizes listening and observation. The result is a poetic and introspective work that resists stereotypes, offering a nuanced, often sobering look at personal and collective experiences of suffering across the African continent.