"The children of the Mseyas family -- Alberina, Maria, Amos and Orsolina-- are four of the estimated 11 million orphans in Africa who have lost their parents to AIDS." Living in Iringa, Tanzania, the siblings have cared for themselves since the death of their father in 2004. Fimmaker Gustavo Vizoso's The Mseyas mostly employs a cinema verite approach, tagging along with the children as they cut and gather grass, cook dinner, attend school, and celebrated Mass, capturing their activities and interactions in graceful, well-composed shots that often illustrate the struggle to survive. Putting a human face on incomprehensible statistics, The Mseyas offers a glimpse of the enormous consequences of AIDS in Africa. Recommended."
- Video Librarian
The Mseyas is an intriguing study in contrasts. Alberina’s resolute optimism in the face of such incredible hardships is truly awe inspiring …
The photography reflects the austere beauty of the Tanzanian landscape; the soundtrack is not artificially augmented, but is simply the sounds of the country and its people and their music. The Mseyas is highly recommended for libraries with specialized African Studies collections.
- Patricia B. McGee, Tennessee Tech U., Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO)
