- Title: New Mozambican film shines spotlight on country's production potential
- Date: 26th August 2019
- Summary: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE (RECENT) (REUTERS) 'REDEMPTION' MOVIE DIRECTOR, MICKEY FONSECA (RIGHT) AND BUSINESS PARTNER, PIPAS FORJAS (LEFT) STANDING ON THE SET OF A COMMERCIAL / WALKING ALONG PATH TALKING FONSECA TALKING ON WALKIE TALKIE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'REDEMPTION' MOVIE DIRECTOR, MICKEY FONSECA, SAYING: "It was really important to tell the story because, first of all it is a film that takes place in the here and now, it's about actual problems, the difficulties that are happening today. Most of the films that have been made in Mozambique are always about the past, the topics are completely different to the ones that we approached. So, we decided to tell a story, a contemporary story that's about now, that takes place in the city you know..." VARIOUS OF FONSECA ON SET DIRECTING A COMMERCIAL / TALKING TO HIS COLLEAGUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'REDEMPTION' MOVIE DIRECTOR, MICKEY FONSECA, SAYING: "So we wanted to make a film where we had local crew, local cast, local production and local money which means local control, we wanted to have the last say." CREW ADJUSTING A CAMERA VARIOUS OF FONSECA AND COLLEAGUES ON SET
- 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: LVA002ATUVPE5
- 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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