Film Africa 2024 – Black Tea ★★★★

Released: TBC (Film Africa 2024)

Director: Abderrahmane Sissako

Starring: Nina Mélo, Chang Han, Wu Ke-Xi

Two vast continents collide in Abderrahmane Sissako’s latest Black Tea, which represents the cross-cultural harmony that drinking tea can bring when its protagonist Aya embarks on a new life journey leaving the Ivory Coast behind for Guangzhou in China to work within a tea boutique.

Black Tea symbolises Sissako’s big-screen return after a 10 year absence since Timbuktu. Following a World Premiere at the 2024 Berlinale, Black Tea was the closing night film for the Film Africa film festival in London.

Sissako’s desire to address that 10 year gap, is underlined in Black Tea, with another cinematically soothing tale produced which skirts across the socio-political periphery , embracing romance in its journey with its soulfully captivating tone. Entire scenes showcasing the enticing aesthetics of the verdant, Chinese tea plantations are bound to make audiences swoon and the vibrant colours with romantic, rain fuelled scenes will draw comparisons to Wong Kar-Wai’s auteur filmmaking style.

As empathetic as Black Tea may be, Sissako’s trademark style for penetrating the veneer remains. Aya may have been designated the ‘runaway bride’ moniker in walking away from a potential life of unhappiness, on her wedding day, to embark on a pathway of self-discovery within a new country. This appears to be a softer approach adopted by Sissako compared to his earlier works. Indeed, there are poetically filmed scenes of Aya’s assimilation within China which suit a harmonious narrative, as her life seems somewhat idyllic. Aya knows the best street food stands to visit, she watches her neighbours’ relationship rituals with food from afar and her interactions with neighbours and the police are extremely amicable. Yet, Sissako allows us to become immersed in the beauty and symmetry of this world slowly only to disrupt this dynamic with subtle hints of imperfections that inevitably manifest themselves.

Aya, played by an impressively calm Nina Mélo who channels inner poise and grace, is the ideal vessel for Sissako’s Chinese odyssey to unfold. She is an Ivorian woman entering a foreign territory within a community that is equally fascinated and threatened by her cultural background. Aya lives within Guangzhou, where the region of Xiaobei has a neighbourhood nicknamed the ‘chocolate city’ due to the large representation of migrants from African countries who reside and own businesses there. Some of the local Chinese residents nickname Aya as ‘black tea’, both in reference to her admiration for tea and her skin colour, which may either be interpreted as an endearing reference or a micro-aggression. Plus, the fact that most of the migrants are grouped together may be Sissako’s hints at the creations of ghettos despite the beautiful, brief, cinematographic immersions into these migrants’ lives and their hair salon bonding sessions within these Afro-China environs.

Black Tea focuses on the notion of integration for these cultures via Aya, who adores drinking tea and savours the aromas as lovingly as being enveloped in a sensual embrace by a romantic partner. The sensuality behind this process and the tea ceremony techniques that Aya’s boss teaches her are perfectly framed and breath-taking to watch. Sissako allows the cinematography to depict this ancient Chinese tea ritual’s ability to break down barriers and tensions amongst friends, neighbours and business people. The film’s slow pacing ensures that the full sociological impact of such scenes seep into our consciousness alongside the romanticism.

However, Sissako also provides glimpses of other aspects of Chinese culture, in this microcosm, which prove as blunt as the tea making ceremony is subtle. Surrounding Aya are her Chinese female colleagues who face pressures to be matched for arranged marriages. Sissako introduces subtle, implicit commentary regarding these practices but they are fleeting scenes without the opportunity to be fleshed out. The stark contrast is the explicit prejudice that is also tackled when some of the African migrants encounter adversity, by virtue of changes to China’s migration policy, within scenes revealing that Chinese enterprises were also occupying areas within African countries, such as Ghana.

Equally, Sissako’s understated vision of China in Black Tea, the film was shot in Taiwan as permission was not granted by China, also illustrates the dichotomy between the traditional Chinese perspectives towards outsiders compared to the more liberal approaches adopted by the newer generations. Sissako invites us to refute the harmful beliefs and images held of African migrants, within China, and to embrace a new, integrated reality and effectively a new, poetic face to African cinema celebrating the range of the diaspora.

Black Tea may be a meditative study which revels in beauty with its displays of exquisite Chinese tea houses and restaurants. The film takes its time to explore the elaborate decor, costumes and rituals within this Chinese microcosm and simultaneously pays homage to the legacy of an ancient civilisation alongside critiquing its ability to pivot within the modern world.

Thought provoking, poetic and romantic, Black Tea is a rich, visual spectacle and another intoxicating treat from Sissako. Watching Sissako’s attempts to transform the status quo through his impressively unique voice that finds the poetry within the politics, as well as showcasing music from across the African diaspora such as Cape Verde, is hypnotic. Black Tea highlights this duality of life via an effective series of vignettes that will undoubtedly leave their indelible imprint on audiences.