The World of Movies: The Cathedral
Written by Rachael Crawley
The World of Movies is a series that explores global cinema, drawing on films from many countries, industries and eras. This week, we seek our own destiny in Mauritius.
The Cathedral.
May contain spoilers.
Saint-Louis Cathedral sits at the centre of Port-Louis, Mauritius’s capital. For years, it has been a well-known landmark. In The Cathedral (Harrikrisna Anenden, 2006), it becomes a character, observing the day-to-day life of local citizens closely.
Lina (Ingrid Blackburn) is one such person. The young woman is stuck in the same routine each day. With little variation, she helps to support a sick mother, and her cobbler father (played by Darma Mootien in a warm and gentle performance). Otherwise, she wanders aimlessly around the city, day in, day out. Though it is hinted that she has a vivacious personality, it is cloaked in unease – at the moment, she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself.
During her wanderings, we meet her friends and neighbours, and get a sense of the local community. Her neighbour Ram (Gaston Valayden) is always willing to offer advice as she figures out her future, which she faces with reluctance. One of her friends is Sanjay (Ashwin Anenden), a reserved student who struggles to find self-confidence. He is also clearly in love with her. Lina, it seems, has either not noticed or is too tactful to mention it. Outside the cathedral, she runs into a photographer (Yves Herman) who captures the world through images of feet. While she is initially taken back by his interest, the brief moment appears to give her more confidence. Knowing any relationship will be short, she considers the possibility of a second meeting. We are left unsure what happens after this – but the result is beside the point.
The Cathedral.
The casting is strong across the board. Blackburn does well as Lina, allowing her strong spirit to shine through even in moments of boredom, though at times her character feels a bit underwritten. Ashwin Anenden turns a shy character into something real and complex.
The movie itself drags at times, despite its 87-minute runtime. Many movies benefit from quieter moments of everyday life in a city, but at times it feels like the film spends too much time with this, at the expense of its characters. At times it moves into a dreamy mood that works well with Lina’s ennui. Some segments, particularly involving her mother’s struggle with mental health, step out of conventional film narrative into a more theatrical experience, to great effect. The film uneasily balances between experimental and narrative, and would perhaps have been improved by picking a side.
The Cathedral has great atmosphere and interesting ideas, but ultimately could have benefited from developing these ideas further. Highlights include Blackburn and Anenden’s performances, as well as many of the glimpses into daily life in Port Louis. Its portrayal of a young woman on the brink of growing into her own identity has great potential – and would certainly be relatable to many viewers – but a more cohesive approach could have turned it into a much stronger piece.
Rachael Crawley holds a Master's Degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, and has worked with film in Canada and in Europe. She adores language and cinema, and how these subjects interact with each other.