SAMBIZANGA, Sarah Maldoror, Angola/France 1972, DCP, OV/EnS, 96 min
Introduction: Cecilia Cenciarelli (Cineteca di Bologna)
Sep 6, 2021 21:30 Arsenal Cinema
Based on “The Real Life of Domingos Xavier”, a novella about a political prisoner’s brutalization during the Angolan revolution, Sarah Maldoror’s film is a groundbreaking drama focused on the arduous struggle of Domingos’ wife Maria, whom he has kept in the dark about his activism. After Domingos’ kidnapping, Maria searches for him on foot, with their baby on her back, pressing on to preserve their family. The breadth of Maria’s emotions are viscerally expressed by Cape Verdean economist and actor Elisa Andrade. Together, Andrade and Maldoror elevate Maria into a symbol of the emerging consciousness of the Angolan people, and, specifically, of women’s critical role in the revolution. (Museum of Modern Art)
Restored by Cineteca di Bologna and The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project at L’Image Retrouvée (Paris) from the 35mm original negatives, in association with Éditions René Chateau and the family of Sarah Maldoror. Funding provided by Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
This restoration is part of the African Film Heritage Project, an initiative created by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, the FEPACI and UNESCO – in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna – to help locate, restore and disseminate African cinema.
