Wah-Wah


1h 36m 2005

Brief Synopsis

During the last gasp of the British Empire in Swaziland, South East Africa, in 1969, 11-year-old Ralph witnesses his mother's adultery with his father's best friend. His parents divorce and Ralph is sent to boarding school. His father, Harry, not only loses his wife and best friend, but also his pos

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Drama
Family
Foreign
Period
Release Date
2005
Distribution Company
Roadside Attractions/Samuel Goldwyn Films
Location
South Africa

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 36m

Synopsis

During the last gasp of the British Empire in Swaziland, South East Africa, in 1969, 11-year-old Ralph witnesses his mother's adultery with his father's best friend. His parents divorce and Ralph is sent to boarding school. His father, Harry, not only loses his wife and best friend, but also his position as Minister of Education with the coming of Independence, prompting his rapid descent into alcoholism. Now 14, Ralph returns home to discover that his father has re-married an ex-air "hostess" named Ruby whom his father has known all of six weeks. As round a peg as you could find in this square holed society, Ruby ridicules the petty snobbery of the restless colonials whose chief amusements are gin, adultery, and their foppish slang of "toodle-pip" and "hobbly-jobbly" -- that Ruby identifies as sounding like "Wah-Wah." Although Ralph is initially wary of Ruby, he bonds with her as his father's drinking escalates and becomes dangerously out of control. It's this chaos that stokes Ralph's inner turmoil, and eventually forges his creative mind.

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Drama
Family
Foreign
Period
Release Date
2005
Distribution Company
Roadside Attractions/Samuel Goldwyn Films
Location
South Africa

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 36m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Limited Release in United States May 12, 2006

Released in United States Spring May 12, 2006

Released in United States on Video November 21, 2006

Released in United States August 2005

Released in United States 2006

Released in United States March 2006

Shown at Edinburgh Film Festival (Opening Night) August 17-28, 2005.

Shown at Seattle International Film Festival (Contemporary World Cinema) May 25-June 18, 2006.

Shown at South by Southwest Film Festival (Special Screening) March 10-18, 2006.

Feature directorial debut for Richard E. Grant.

Limited Release in United States May 12, 2006

Released in United States Spring May 12, 2006

Released in United States on Video November 21, 2006

Released in United States August 2005 (Shown at Edinburgh Film Festival (Opening Night) August 17-28, 2005.)

Roadside Attractions acquired North American rights to project at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival.

Released in United States 2006 (Shown at Seattle International Film Festival (Contemporary World Cinema) May 25-June 18, 2006.)

Released in United States March 2006 (Shown at South by Southwest Film Festival (Special Screening) March 10-18, 2006.)