In development since 2012, Nicole Schafer’s Buddha in Africa tackles a recent development in global politics through an interesting lens. Specifically, this documentary follows a young Malawian teenager named Enock Bello, and his life inside a Buddhist orphanage that is eerily reminiscent of early Christian missions to North America. At the ACC orphanage Enock is a martial arts prodigy with named Alu, who harbours dreams of becoming Jet Li. Schafer’s documentary, however, picks up Enock’s story at an interesting point in his life, a transitional period where graduation is imminent and post-secondary education at home or abroad must be chosen. For Enock, the question becomes one of answering just how much choice he really has.

Schafer is credited as the sole director, writer, cinematographer, while also holding joint editing and production credits. In some of those credits she really shines, particularly the cinematography, as the film features multitudinous breathtaking long shots of the Malawian landscape. Yet, Buddha in Africa simultaneously feels slightly underwritten or under explored. Necessary background information is obfuscated. The exact nature of the ACC organization, for example, is left murky at best. Furthermore, the film frequently refers to the fact that the ACC as a Chinese organization, despite the fact that its founder and donors are all shown to be Taiwanese. How the ACC fits into larger structures of Chinese influence, if it does at all, is left relatively unexplored. While it is understandable that the film may not wish to stray far from its main focus, a deeper understanding of the larger structures Enock is a part of may have helped audiences truly understand his situation better. Ultimately, Buddha in Africa is a film with a fascinating premise that simultaneously feels underachieved.