Impressive in its cultural setting and for the fact that it is the first feature-length film from a Guinea-Bissau director, Umban U'Kset, this drama about a young village boy has a lot of local color. Guinea-Bissau (the former Portuguese Guinea) is on the coast of west Africa just below Senegal, and it shares a tradition of masked dances found in many cultures across the continent. So when little N'Bedjo (Joao Bento) runs away to watch the masked dancers in the big Carnival in the capital of Bissau, the meaning of the masks and the dancing has several overlays. N'Bedjo's brother Mario (Mario Acqlino) and a friend take off to look for the runaway, and since it is 30 miles to Bissau, their journey is punctuated by a series of unexpected events.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide