feature · drama · manifesto
Adapted from Jose Luandino Vieira's novel and filmed in the Republic of the Congo during the Angolan War of Independence, Sarah Maldoror's feature follows a woman searching Luanda for her husband after his arrest, using a cast of nonprofessionals that included exiled MPLA activists, and won the Tanit d'Or at Carthage in 1972.
Fun fact: The screenplay was co-written by Angolan poet and MPLA leader Mario Pinto de Andrade, who was Maldoror's partner.
Notes: Filmed in the Republic of the Congo, depicting events in Angola; among the first full-length features directed by a woman on the African continent. Country field lists production and subject locations together (Republic of Congo/France as production base, Angola as the story's setting); Congo and France are the production countries proper, with Angola representing the film's subject and setting rather than a co-producing nation.
Verification: verified · Sources:
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Poster source: Criterion Collection