MARGARIDA CARDOSO started as a filmmaker in 1995, exploring subjects that cross her personal history and experiences, as well as prominent post-colonial issues in recent Portuguese history, such as the Portuguese revolution and the colonial war in Africa. Her filmography includes features Sita – The life and times of Sita Valles (IndieLisboa, 2022), Understory (IndieLisboa, 2019), Yvone Kane (Tallinn Black Nights, 2015), The Murmuring Coast (Veneza, 2004, IFFR, 2005), Kuxa Kanema – The Birth of Cinema (FIDMarseille, Cinéma du Réel, Visions du Réel, 2003) and the short Among Us (Locarno, 1999).
Afonso starts life anew on a tropical island off the African coast as a plantation physician. He is tasked with treating servants “infected” by Banzo, a profound homesickness fatal to many enslaved people who succumb to starvation or take their own lives. To prevent spreading, the group is sent to a secluded hill encircled by forest. Afonso tries to heal them, but understanding their spirits is a challenge that is stronger than any medical intervention.
Carloto Cotta, Hoji Fortuna, Rúben Simões, Gonçalo Waddington, Sara Carinhas, João Pedro Bénard, Maria Do Céu Ribeiro, Matamba Joaquim, Romeu Runa, Cirila Bossuet
DoP Leandro Ferrão Editor Pedro Filipe Marques Music Rutger Zuydervelt Sound Design Vincent Sinceretti, Evelien Molen
Filipa Reis
Inês Garcia Marques