Claire Denis, the French based director, who previously brought us Chocolat (1988) L'intrus (2004) and most recently 35 Rhums (2008) , was raised in the French colonial Africa, and her latest film seemed very much an experiential piece resulting in a very accurate depiction of situations there.

However, whether the film sought to cast a dark reality of the remaining acts of slavery in Africa or justification of the French colonies that have caused so much strife in the continent of Africa was not easy to figure out by the end credits.

White Material, set in the middle of a rebel uprising is based around the life of Maria, a coffee plantation owner, who refuses to acknowledge the threat of insurgents as she seeks to harvest her latest coffee crop, despite the fact that her family are desperate to return to their native France.

The film captures the reality and severity of the setting, with constant horrific scenes of violence, indiscriminate of whether they are towards men, women or children. While the film was shot in Cameroon, where the film is set is never mentioned, something that perhaps suggests that this story would fit any African country that is being exploited by the generations of overseas plantation owners that profit from the resources of their land.

The thing I found most difficult to figure out about this picture was the stance that director Denis took throughout - sometimes it felt like this film was based around one woman’s fight against losing her plantation before upcoming harvest, when often it felt as a viewer that the crop harvest was insignificant. At times it even felt that the issue was more how many around her were dying due to her actions and why she had the plantation in the first place.

Street children are also a big part of this movie as we follow a group of orphans, many looking no older than 12 years old, who have lost their families to the conflict. As they go through the film they gather redundant guns on the hunt for their families' killers, and their story is probably the saddest, with no happy endings in sight.

There's no denying this film was a great insight into the conflict in Africa, and by using the 'warts and all' portrayal of a white plantation owner in Africa, the film is allowed to explore both sides of the coin. All in all it's recommended as an accurate portrayal of what is going on in many countries, however, be vigilant while you are watching, because it really does feel at times that this is more of homage towards people like Maria, when in fact, she seems more a part of the problem than the solution.

Words: Ben Anderson. Ben is currently working at MTV with the Staying Alive project.