Shameela Seedat, dir. African Moot. 2022. 85 minutes. English, French, Portuguese, and Swahili (translated to English). No Price Reported. Undercurrent Film & Television.

Shameela Seedat's African Moot is a documentary that captures the life of studentlawyers drawn from various countries in Africa.Having qualified to represent their universities and countries in an international moot court competition, they all gather in Botswana, the venue of the competition.Through their individual journeys, the film highlights both the challenges and triumphs faced by these emerging legal minds, showcasing the diversity and richness of the African legal system.The film focuses more on students from four countries: Egypt (American University in Cairo), Kenya (University of Nairobi), Uganda (Makerere University), and South Africa (University of Cape Town).The star characters are: Daniella, the female character from Makerere University, and Jerome, her male counterpart, representing Uganda; Amor, the eventual winner, and Rachael, both from University of Nairobi representing Kenya; Tawfeek and Edward (the homosexual son of a Ugandan refugee in South Africa) representing University of Cape Town, South Africa; and Kareem and Anouk representing American University in Cairo, Egypt.Though the main theme of the competition is on the rights of refugees seeking asylum outside of their country, the film explores several other themes such as: the importance of justice and advocacy in addressing societal issues, human rights law, gender discrimination, abuse of power, and LGBTI discourse throughout Africa.It equally discusses the issue of rural/urban dichotomy and poverty.The film emphasizes how legal advocacy plays a crucial role in promoting justice to all, irrespective of gender orientation or class.The diverse backgrounds of the students reflect the cultural richness of the African continent and underscore a shared goal of fostering unity in diversity.Daniella, who features on the front burner, is anticipated to win and her projection creates some form of suspense.The twist, however, comes as a surprise as her team is only the runner-up when Amor's team becomes the winner.Jerome Mpaata emerges third position for Best Oralist and Rachael Mwendwa is announced as the overall Best Oralist.This announcement did not go down well with Amor and she requests the organizers to double-check the Best Oralist award.It eventually turns out she, Amor, has the highest mark in her team, thus the Best Oralist.This indeed creates a twist in the film and heightens the tension between Rachael and Amor.Visually, the cinematography beautifully captures the landscapes of various African nations, contrasting vibrant urban settings with serene rural environments.