Gazing at Stars

Madagascar, nowadays. Kwame, 20, struggles to make a living in the clandestine sapphire mines. An unexpected event takes him back to his hometown. As he reunites with his mother and old friends, he finds himself confronted with the rampant corruption plaguing his country. He will have to choose between easy money and loyalty, between individualism and political awakening.

It is the end of an era. Marco, Bissoon and their friends have spent their lives working for a sugar factory that is due to close. Sugarcane is no longer profitable so it will soon be replaced by luxurious villas, golf courses and playgrounds for rich tourists, making this area forbidden for the working class. As their world seems to fall apart around them, some struggle to find their places in their strange new surroundings, while others decide to leave the country. For Bissoon, the closing of the factory brings frustration, emptiness and neo-colonial malaise. Meanwhile Marco gets intrigued by Devi, the wife of the authoritarian man overseeing the demolition of the factory. Continuing his work of putting Mauritius on the cinematic map, David Constantin tells a story of a move from tradition to modernity. In doing so, he offers a view behind the postcard façade of paradise, portraying the world less picture perfect than you might think.

Bissoon is a retired Mauritian struggling with the Chinese merchant Ah-Yan who tries to sell him a new radio, as his, after 20 years, is broken. Bissoon resists the temptations of globalization but then falls victim to the marketing .

This documentary tells of how the Chagossians were torn from their islands in the northern Indian Ocean. In 1965, the Colonial British authorities declared the isle separate from Mauritius in exchange of its independence. Then, the United States rented Diego Garcia, the largest of the isles, to install a military base and the population was sent to Mauritius. The Chagossians have spent the past 36 years living in extreme poverty in Mauritius, dreaming of one day going home.