SPOILER ALERT: This blog post contains spoilers for the Ugandan short film Helena.
Helena is a heartbreaking short film set in the present day that depicts the struggles of a Ugandan schoolgirl. The plot follows a teenager called Helena who is depressed because her mother is unable to find the money to finance her education. Mr. Peter, a student teacher at the school, takes notice and decides to 'help' her only if she agrees to have sex with him. So she sleeps with him out of desperation and ends up pregnant. Needless to say, her whole world falls apart thereafter.
The film ends with Helena being kicked out of school and Mr. Peter gets away with what he's done. It's incredibly frustrating because you get the sense that there is more to this story, which is exactly what the filmmakers intended. The film, which is around 27 minutes long, ends with a note from the director telling the audience to look out for episode one. This got me really excited because it confirmed my suspicion that what I'd just watched was actually a pilot and not exactly your traditional short film. The pacing totally gave it away. They may have marketed it as a short film, but it definitely feels more like a tv show waiting to happen.
Character Relationships & Tone
I really enjoyed how Helena interacted with her peers and classmates. The dialogue was not always as polished as it could have been, but the over exaggerated performances of the actors really brought the characters to life. Their conversations felt slightly grounded in realism, but not too much. For me it was the perfect balance. A show like this, in my opinion, would be directed towards audiences who are themselves in high school. Having a layer of fantasy would help make the subject matter easier to digest like we see in the film. There were moments I couldn't help but laugh at how dramatic everything felt. It definitely made the whole film easier to swallow. That being said, if this short film is going to be turned into a tv series, then the producers are going to have to invest in building stronger character relationships.
All the best drama series out there are character-driven. We love watching well written characters that are relatable and likable. We like to see who their friends and enemies are. We like to see how other characters act or react around them. In terms of creating believable character relationships, I'd say Helena is halfway there. We already see Helena interact with different school staff, but I think as the story progresses, it would be great if we got more scenes with Helena and her mother together. How will Helena explain getting kicked out of school? How will her mother react when she finds out that her daughter is pregnant? These are questions I need answered. It would be a shame if Helena's mother remained a background character like she is in the film. If given the chance, I think she could be a compelling character to watch on screen. Her relationship with Helena could be developed in a variety of ways.
We also need to see more of Helena's friends and classmates from school. You can't have a teen drama series without showcasing teen friendships. I mean, you could, but where would the fun in that be? Teen friendships can be entertaining and if they're written well, they can have a meaningful impact on audiences. We need to show our youth how important it is to have a healthy support system, especially considering the kind of situation Helena is in. Of course, the producers could decide to make Helena friendless, which would still be effective in getting the message across. However, I think it would be far more entertaining (and less depressing) if we got to see Helena hang out with a few friends after school from time to time. Yes, being an African schoolgirl is challenging. But can't teens just be allowed to be teens? I want Helena to be a fully realized, three-dimensional character. We should see her suffering, but we should also see her occasionally having a good time with a few friends. Let's not victimize the African schoolgirl experience, please.
Get The Show Running, Please!
I am in desperate need of teen dramas set in an African context. I've watched American, European and Korean dramas about the incredibly difficult lives of teenagers and for once I'd like to see what that could look like if the setting were in Africa. Helena already has the characters and the storyline, all we need now is some serious commitment from the producers. The editing needs to be smoother and the dialogue needs fine-tuning to sound more natural while retaining its overly dramatic tone.
Helena is a saddening tale; one that is only amplified by the film's theme song, which plays every time the director wants you to feel Helena's struggle. The fact that this kind of thing happens in real life, makes this story one of great importance. Those of us from Africa know that 'the girl child' is one of the most vulnerable groups in society. From teen pregnancy to the various implications of sexism, African girls are faced with many obstacles. To see this 'trope' actualized on screen in such a hopeless way really makes me want to see more content like this that not only tells a compelling story but also spreads awareness on gender specific issues.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, comments, feedback and/or suggestions, please feel free to drop them off at this link. I love reading what you have to say (plus I'm always in need of show recommendations).
A previous version of this post contained a broken link. The link in question has been fixed effective 1/24/2024.
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