An African boy arrives in the Habsburg Empire in the 18th century. The countess begins to train him in European manners with the goal of ‘turning him into a human.’ As he is dressed in royal garb, taught royal rites, and baptized, Angelo slowly transforms into a European man. As an adult, Angelo achieves prominence in the Austrian court, but his position in the palace is threatened when he decides to secretly marry a white woman. Inspired by the true story of Angelo Soliman, who was known as the ‘royal Moor’ in the Viennese court, the film exposes the violent and inhuman nature of European colonialism. Divided into three parts, the film follows Angelo through his childhood, adulthood, and old age, as he is controlled and exploited by European values. Angelo stands out amid the still-life images and royal paintings of 1700s Europe, a most effective visualization of an individual being sacrificed and destroyed by European powers. The second feature by Austrian actor and writer Markus Schleinzer, following his debut feature Michael (2011). (Jin Park)