Mostra de Cinemas Africanos Celebrates the Centenary of Amílcar Cabral, Revolutionary Leader of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde

The programme features titles from Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau and offers a short course on Cabral's legacy in African cinemas.

In celebration of the centenary of Amílcar Cabral, the iconic revolutionary leader of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, the Mostra de Cinemas Africanos features a special programme that celebrates and reflects on his legacy. The event highlights Cabral's enduring influence on Cape Verdean and Guinean societies through a selection of films and educational activities. Among the programme's highlights are two films that uniquely address the impact of Amílcar Cabral.

Omi Nobu, directed by Carlos Yuri Ceuninck (Cape Verde), offers a poetic and reflective view on the social and cultural transformations in the Cape Verdean islands, evoking Cabral's memory and his fights for independence. In the 1980s, in Cape Verde, on the island of São Nicolau, the small community of Ribeira Funda decided to abandon the place, scared by a series of tragic events attributed to evil forces. Mr. Quirino is the only resident who refused to leave. Facing an uncertain future and the weight of isolation, illness, and old age, he begins to accept the idea of leaving the only place he has ever known.

In Nome, directed by Sana Na N’Hada, the veteran director from Guinea-Bissau revisits his youth years and the tumultuous fight against the Portuguese colonial army from 1969 to the mid-1970s. With a minimalist and stylized approach, the film is filled with lyrical beauty and spiritual mystery. The narrative begins in a village far from the armed conflict, where we observe the daily life of Nome, his mother, and the woman he loves. Nome leaves his home to join the guerrillas, becoming a heroic leader. However, the personal relationships he left behind return to haunt him during the complicated and confusing post-revolutionary period. 

Sana Na N'Hada is one of the pioneers of cinema in Guinea-Bissau and is widely recognized for his role in creating and developing cinema in the country. Na N'Hada began his cinematographic career in the context of the anti-colonial fight, actively participating in the independence war against Portuguese rule.

All films are rated PG-14 unless otherwise stated.

Short course

Cinematic constructions of Amílcar Cabral: Reflections on African cinemas and their narratives

In addition to the film screenings, the festival in Salvador includes the course “Construções cinematográficas de Amílcar Cabral: Reflexões sobre os cinemas africanos e suas narrativas” ("Cinematic constructions of Amílcar Cabral: Reflections on african cinemas and their narratives," led by Jusciele Oliveira. This activity offers an in-depth analysis of the cinematic representations of Amílcar Cabral, the revolutionary leader of the Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP). Based on Jusciele Oliveira's experiences and exchanges during her participation in Cabral's centenary celebrations in Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, the course explores how Cabral's figure has been portrayed and interpreted in African films and how these representations contribute to the understanding of the continent's history and political context.

Details:

Short course

Cinematic constructions of Amílcar Cabral: Reflections on African cinemas and their narratives

Facilitator: Jusciele Oliveira

September 24 - 25

Venue: Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Bahia  – Rua da Graça, 284 – Graça. Salvador (BA)

50 seats

Sign up for free: www.mostradecinemasafricanos.com/en

About Amílcar Cabral

Amílcar Cabral (1924-1973) was an influential revolutionary leader and anti-colonialist theorist, born in Guinea-Bissau and also recognized in Cape Verde. Graduated in agronomy in Lisbon, Cabral used his knowledge to organize and lead the liberation movement of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde against Portuguese colonial rule. He founded the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) in 1956, playing a crucial role in the armed combat that culminated in Guinea-Bissau's independence in 1973 and later Cape Verde's independence in 1975.

Cabral was known for his strategic vision and ability to mobilize both peasants and intellectuals for the anti-colonial cause. He advocated for the importance of culture in resistance and believed that political liberation should be accompanied by cultural and social emancipation. Besides being a military leader, Cabral was also a prolific thinker, whose ideas on anti-colonial fight and national reconstruction influenced liberation movements across Africa.

He was assassinated in January 1973, shortly before Guinea-Bissau's independence. However, his legacy continues to inspire generations of activists and leaders worldwide, being celebrated as one of the great heroes of the African liberation fight.

About Jusciele Oliveira

Graduated in Vernacular Letters from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). She specialized in Methodology of Teaching Afro-Brazilian History and Culture, and Higher Education Teaching. She has a Master's in Literature and Culture and a PhD in Communication, Culture, and Arts from the University of Algarve in Portugal. She has published work nationally and internationally on African literature, cinema, and culture, particularly focusing on Guinea-Bissau and Flora Gomes. She co-edited the e-book Cinemas Africanos Contemporâneos – Abordagens Críticas. Jusciele is a collaborative researcher at the Research Center in Arts and Communication and a researcher at the Film Analysis Laboratory of UFBA, with research focused on cinematic genres in African cinemas.