WAITING FOR THE RAIN

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By Newsweek Editors

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Animal carcasses litter the red earth of Masai country. Villagers scan the sky for signs of rain. With their livestock decimated by a drought, the inhabitants of a traditional Masai village know they can't survive much longer. Local elders decide that their only chance of breaking the drought is by killing the god of vengeance, the lion Vitchua. But when Vitchua devours their A-list warrior, the villagers pin their hopes on a group of teenage boys, novices who've never held a spear. As the gawky pack wanders the veld in search of Vitchua, they learn about courage and camaraderie, and become full-fledged heroes.

Despite that vaguely predictable premise, the new French movie "Masai: Warriors of the Rain" will leave you in awe, thanks to its heartfelt performances and gorgeous shots of the golden Kenyan veld. Director Pascal Plisson, a veteran documentary filmmaker, has spent years making wildlife movies in East Africa--and it shows. For one thing, Plisson shuns actors: the entire cast of "Masai" is made up of nonprofessionals, who play themselves and speak their native language (the film is shot in Maa, with French subtitles). And the film is almost too beautiful: its pristine landscapes, untouched by globalization, bear little resemblance to Masai country today, where ranchers compete with tribesmen for ever-scarcer pastureland. But in preserving a slice of tribal life, Plisson pays moving homage to the Masai people.

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