Directed by Flora Gomes, one of the leading figures in Guinea-Bissau’s film industry, *Mortu Nega* chronicles the struggle for Guinea-Bissau’s independence and the hopes that fueled it. Through the stories of Diminga and Sako, the film blends personal narratives with collective history, exploring both the promises and the disappointments of the post-independence era.
In the early 1970s, during Guinea-Bissau’s war of national liberation, Diminga joined her husband Sako in the guerrilla ranks as he fought against the Portuguese colonial army. A few years later, independence was achieved, but challenges remained. Between memories of the struggle and the reconstruction of a nascent nation, the film traces the journey of a generation facing the trials of freedom.
Screened at the Venice Film Festival in 1988, *Mortu Nega* is now considered a major work of African cinema and one of the seminal films of Guinea-Bissau’s film industry.
The restoration was carried out by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and the Cineteca di Bologna, in collaboration with Flora Gomes. Conducted as part of the African Film Heritage Project, it is part of an initiative led by The Film Foundation, the Pan-African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI), UNESCO, and the Cineteca di Bologna to restore and promote the great works of African cinema.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with Dominique Gentil, the film’s director of photography.
In partnership with the Centre Pompidou.
Mortu Nega by Flora Gomes (Guinea-Bissau, 1988, 96 min – version restored as part of the African Film Heritage Project)
