- Title: New Mozambican film shines spotlight on country's production potential
- Date: 26th August 2019
- Summary: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) 'REDEMPTION' LEAD ACTOR, GIL ALEXANDRE, SAYING: "I play Bruno Pereira in the film, he comes home looking for a better life when he gets out of jail but things degenerate and he's only able to make a living as a car thief and then as a kidnapper." SIGN AT CINEMA SIGNS READING (Portuguese): 'RESGATE' (REDEMPTION) (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) UNIDENTIFIED 'REDEMPTION' VIEWER, SAYING: "It was wonderful, a hundred percent national film with action, what we see abroad we could see here in Mozambique, congratulations to Mahla films, it was very good." (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) UNIDENTIFIED 'REDEMPTION' VIEWER, SAYING: "I thought the movie was very good, it represented Mozambicans well – top, top, top! There were great lessons, everyone gets their own lesson, but what I learnt is that we cannot repeat the same mistakes when it is something that has serious consequences in life. Money is not everything. The family has to come ahead of everything else and we have to learn to be sincere with others. I loved the film. I highly recommend it."
- Embargoed: 9th September 2019 13:51
- Keywords: Mozambique's latest cinematic offering 'Redemption' Maputo
- Location: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
- City: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
- Country: Mozambique
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA004ATUVPE5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mozambique's latest cinematic offering, 'Redemption', is set in the heart of Maputo, the country's capital, and tells a story of a young ex-convict Bruno Pereira.
Pereira is struggling with the dilemma of finding out that his mother left him with a $30,000 debt that he either has to pay or face losing his home. With a four-month old baby and girlfriend to care for, Bruno contemplates going back to a life of crime.
It took Mahla Films, a local production company, 10 years to gather the resources to make the film.
Under the post-independence leadership of Samora Machel, Mozambique developed a robust documentary-film industry from around 1976. The sector virtually died with Machel in 1986.
Producers like Mahla, have to raise money for their creative projects from NGO documentaries or commercials for product brands.
The movie's budget was $350,000 USD sourced from crowdfunding and Mahla Films own funds which Fonseca says was used to buy equipment and cover all production costs.
Fonseca says he and his partner Pipas Forjas intentionally chose not to take on international funding and partners in order to retain creative oversight.
The movie is currently showing in Mozambique's three cinemas and 'Redemption' will be travelling to Germany to be screened at the Africa Film Festival.
Analysts say that if properly resourced, Mozambique's filmmakers could prosper from catering to Africa's considerable Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) market which is estimated at well over 250 million viewers.
(Emidio Jozine, Sisipho Skweyiya, Jayson Mansaray) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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