Kanarie

(Canary)

Synopsis:

Kanarie (Afrikaans for ‘Canary’) is a coming-of-age musical war drama. Drafted into the South African army during apartheid, a young soldier joins the military’s traveling choir, and romance on the battlefield causes him to deal with his long-repressed sexual identity through hardship, camaraderie, first love, and the liberating freedom of music, the true self can be discovered.

Quick Thoughts:

I had no idea what to expect going into “Kanarie”. And after watching this queer war film, I’m still not quite sure of the overall message. But it definitely was captivating! Despite being labeled a musical, it’s more like a film with a musical soundtrack or the occasional fantastical musical internal monologue. Yet it works, and I especially loved the male choral songs they Kanaries perform throughout.

But it’s Johan’s journey and internal struggle on self-acceptance that takes main stage. There’s a rather romantic budding romance with fellow soldier Wolfgang, but we actually don’t see where it leads in the end. I actually found that a bit disappointing, as if there is a second part missing. However, upon rewatching it, “Kanarie” is about Johan’s own journey and not so much a potential relationship. Overall, I found “Kanarie” to be quite enjoyable to watch!