Far From Home (Galen Knowles): 2015

Reviewed by Shelby Harris at the Santa Barbara Film Festival 2015

Far From Home is a extraordinary documentary following the life of young and ambitious Brolin Mawejje in his persute of his dreams to becoming a doctor  as well as making history as the first snowboarder to represent his native land Uganda in the Winter Olympics. Moving to the United States at the age of 11 Brolin wakes up to a white rain like substance floating softly and slowly from the sky above. Soon his new friends take Brolin to a local ski resort located in the Massachusetts mountains,  Brolin naturally picks up the sport of snowboarding, developing a passion for the sport hes is supported by family and friends to take his talent to the next level. Yet his journey has complicated obstacles that he must overcome along the way.

Entering into a new school system Brolin is an outcast because of his African heritage, unhappy with his own identity Brolin struggles coping with his new environment socially and physically as he separates himself from his intermediate family and peers.

Brolins story is told through the eyes of his friends and family in personal interviews discussing the hardship and battle he faced while adapting to his surroundings and uncovering his true identity. Growing up in a rural town Brolin faced the challenges of giving into peer pressure, exhaled from his mothers home he traveled in and out of multiple surrogate homes, until finally finding shelter at a close friends,  a place to finally call home.

Having a troubled upbringing Brolin was forced to grow up fast, finding his passion and escape through snowboarding he is supported by his close friends and caregivers to seek out his talents and go after his ambitions.

Using wide angle shots of Brolin snowboarding and face paced editing the audience experiences a masterpiece of visuals, the footage is shot from low and high angles showing multiple shots of tricks and jumps done on his board. Shots cut and out from Africa to the United States with a orchestra soundtrack giving the viewers an overwhelming range of emotions from sorrow and pity to joy and appreciation.

The journey is not yet over for Brolin even when the film comes to a closing, with desire to compete in the Winter Olympics of 2018 and also obtain a degree in medicine. Brolin’s adventure is an ongoing pursuit yet there are many heartbreaking and warm moments that can only be felt while watching his tale be told.