Miguel —alias Tibars, alias “Djon África,” born and raised in Portugal— is a kindhearted Rastafarian who loves women and lives a carefree life. Until one day a stranger tells him he's the spitting image of his father, “a player and a crook.” His father, whom he never even knew! This intriguing discovery makes him change tack. Particularly when his grandmother, who always took care of him, finally tells him how his father was in prison; how sad Miguel was as a toddler when he couldn't see him; how his father was banished to Cape Verde. Miguel goes there to visit him. Who is this man?
Djon Africa is vibrant and full of life, capturing the colour and rhythm of Cabo Verde. Its laid-back hero sets off to find his father in a charming, easygoing quest. But the film drifts. Scenic detours, though lovely, sap the momentum and feel more like travelogue than story. With tighter focus, it couldve soared.
