★★★☆☆
House on the Wind is a character-piece drama that captures the essence of family, friendship, and community—what it means to be united and feel as if one belongs.
The film follows Josette, an elderly woman in her late 70s who lives alone and has no one after all her children moved west for “better lives.”
Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu makes their directorial debut, one that covers all the bases and shows a grasp of how to craft a film. Yet, they haven’t quite found their voice in terms of knowing exactly what they’re trying to say.
Alongside directing the film, Yanghu also pens the script, which is where many of the film’s core issues lie.
The concept and structure of the film are based around the unlikely bonding of two people—two women of different generations who form an unlikely friendship after a chance encounter, altering each other’s lives forever.
It creates a foundation centered on family, friendship, and community. Yet, the script fails to develop the characters into people we should care about or be interested in.
“The script fails to develop the characters into people we should care about or be interested in.”
While there are a few defining moments in the script that truly offer an insightful look at the characters, their morals, and the personalities that define them, most of the time, the characters feel two-dimensional and lack fulfilling moments, arcs, and defining characteristics.
Josette is elderly and alone. She misses her children, is a member of a community group of women, and has traditional values and beliefs. Yet, those characteristics aren’t developed and translated into a fleshed-out character.
Outside of a few scenes where she displays her morals of always doing the right thing—even when they’re centered around issues such as other people’s relationships and petty theft from big banks—we aren’t given enough to connect with her.
Without crafting a character whom the audience can relate to, or even sympathize with, her noble actions don’t carry much weight.
The pacing is slow and, at times, feels as if it is not moving the story forward at all, even though it remains consistent and steady.
Yanghu’s approach feels deliberate and intentional, crafted to be a slow burn that lingers from scene to scene.
However, I don’t see how the approach is beneficial to the story. In fact, I feel as if it hinders it. By dwelling on interactions and allowing each moment to simply exist, it gives a false impression of the film’s intentions.
“Yanghu’s approach feels deliberate and intentional, crafted to be a slow burn that lingers from scene to scene.”
The pacing choice best describes and creates what one might think of when being told a story from an older person’s perspective—one where everything moves slower and core moments become not only significant, but everything.
This is evident in the bank scene, in which Josette can’t find her ID and takes her time with no concern for anyone else in line or at the bank, merely because she has all the time in the world. It’s a common spectacle among elderly people: they’re never in a hurry, and they have all the time in the world.
It’s a scene that causes frustration simply because it’s one of the film’s most universally relatable moments.
Blick Bassy, Michel Duprez, and Adrien Jolivet make up the team of composers behind what is an incredible and subtle score.
The film opens with classical music serving as a compelling background to the B-roll that introduces us to the character and the backdrop of Cameroon.
The score is flexible enough to interchange styles to accommodate death, celebration, and life. A stellar, tone-setting piece accompanies Josette as she watches a fellow elder being carried out after dying alone without anyone knowing. It sets the scene and allows the score to elevate an already powerful moment.
An upbeat and charismatic piece showcases her birthday celebration over a video chat with her children, allowing her vibrant joy to carry through the score and set the scene perfectly.
This is accompanied by stellar cinematography from Eva Sehet. The shots aren’t crisp and polished, but loose and emotionally driven. They aren’t always visually stunning, but they are intentional and story-driven.
The opening shots lay the groundwork for the tone and style, allowing wide, lingering shots to establish the film’s pacing.
The camera is utilized to draw emotion when it can do so without taking focus away from the characters or interrupting the pacing and rhythm of the film, which relies heavily on the cinematography.
“Yanghu crafts a drama that offers an insightful look at the emotional turmoil of growing old and alone.”
Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu’s directorial debut has its flaws. It’s slow, and the characters aren’t as fleshed out as they should be, given the hyper-focus on them and the film’s plot.
Yet, Yanghu crafts a drama that offers an insightful look at the emotional turmoil of growing old and alone, what it means to belong, and the impact that human connections have on us.
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