Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
Director
Fellipe Barbosa
Cast
João Pedro Zappa,
Caroline Abras,
Rashidi Athuman,
Luke Mpata,
Alex Alembe
Genre
Drama
Before entering a prestigious American university, Gabriel Buchmann decides to travel the world for one year. After ten months on the road with his backpack full of dreams, immersed at the heart of various countries, he arrives in Kenya determined to discover the African continent. His final destination: the top of Mount Mulanje, Malawi.
Village Voice by Jordan Hoffman
The location photography does much of the film’s heavy lifting, especially visits to Mount Kilimanjaro and Mulanje’s Sapitwa Peak. (The rumor is that a young J.R.R. Tolkien visited there, and Barbosa leans into this a bit for the big finish.) The star of the show, however, is the dialogue between cultures.
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
More than a simple tribute or a fond remembrance, it is a remarkable and full-throated elegy, a work of art that is full of life.
Los Angeles Times by Robert Abele
A beautifully filmed, subtly political travelogue with some central conundrums.
San Francisco Chronicle by David Lewis
Even if the proceedings sometime feel like a travelogue, the reconstructions of Gabriel’s last days alive, down to the exact locations and personal interactions, leave a strong impression.
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Brad Wheeler
Director Barbosa's love letter to his late friend is emotionally satisfying and cinematically splendid, with social commentary shoe-horned in for better or worse.
Screen Daily by Sarah Ward
Gabriel and the Mountain offers a moving look at the transformative nature of travel, both on those hopping around the world in search of a new perspective and those they encounter along the way.
Variety by Jay Weissberg
On one level, the film can be classified as a journey of discovery, but what deepens interest is the way Barbosa constantly asks the viewer to question what it means to travel.
Screen International by Sarah Ward
Gabriel and the Mountain offers a moving look at the transformative nature of travel, both on those hopping around the world in search of a new perspective and those they encounter along the way.
The Hollywood Reporter by Boyd van Hoeij
Barbosa doesn’t seem very interested in questioning Buchmann’s intentions — the idea of cultural appropriation never comes up, for starters — with the young man depicted as sincere if clearly naive.
Slant Magazine by Clayton Dillard
The film seems to think that the mere recognition of Gabriel as a narcissist sufficiently complicates the character's sense of entitlement.
Loading recommendations...
Loading recommendations...