Benda Bilili! 2010

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: This unsentimental, smartly assembled film is equally attentive to the cacophony of African poverty and the balm of harmony provided by these pied pipers of hope. Read more

New York Times: Read more

David DeWitt, New York Times: "Benda Bilili!" is brutally real, a document of willpower that shows not only the magic of transcendence - which may be fleeting - but also the transformation of aspiring to it, every struggling step of the way. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Given how manipulatively constructed this music doc is, even in its rawest moments, you still leave feeling like you've been played. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: "Benda Bilili!" earns its exclamation point. It's a feel-good movie that actually makes you feel good, a story that will have you shaking your head in astonishment and moving your feet to some unstoppable rhythms. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: Benda Belili! reminds us that we need to look beyond The X Factor to discover musical talent that strikes a deeper chord. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: An uplifting, understated and wholly engaging insight into a world entirely unlike our own... Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: From out of the gloom comes the hypnotic grooves of a band called Staff Benda Bilili. The name means "look beyond appearances," and the members of this remarkable musical collective do just that. Read more

Jay Weissberg, Variety: Read more

Ernest Hardy, Village Voice: See the film to glimpse something of the band's awesome stage show. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: Staff Benda Bilili's unlikely triumph is an epic feat, with or without anyone's help. Read more