THE SOUND OF MASKS

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THE SOUND OF MASKS

By Sara Cf DE GOUVEIA

RUSHLAKE MEDIA GMBH - as SALES All rights, World

Documentary - Completed 2018

Atanásio Nyusi, a compelling storyteller and legendary Mapiko dancer, takes us on a visually dramatic journey through Mozambique's past and present.

Festivals
& Awards

IDFA 2018

Encounters Film Festival 2019

Durban IFF 2019

- Year of production
- 2018
- Genres
- Documentary
- Countries
- SOUTH AFRICA, PORTUGAL
- Languages
- PORTUGUESE
- Duration
- 70 mn
- Director(s)
- Sara Cf DE GOUVEIA
- Producer(s)
- Pandora DE CUNHA TELLES (UKBAR FILMES), Pablo IRAOLA (UKBAR FILMES), Sara Cf DE GOUVEIA, Julia RAMSAY
- Synopsis
- Mapiko is a traditional masked dance performed exclusively by the male members of the Makonde community living in northern Mozambique. During the Mozambican War of Independence in the 1960s, this dance became a tool to challenge colonization. His Mapiko dancing skills gave Atanásio Nyusi the opportunity to become a professional dancer and avoid fighting in the civil war that followed independence. In relating his life story, the now legendary dancer also leads us through the history of Mozambique. Completely concealed except for his fingers and toes and wearing a frightening mask, a man dances to tell the story of Lipanyangule, a mystical figure who eats children. The dance is choreographed by Nyusi, and it communicates not only the ancient legend itself, but also his own history, and that of his people and country. Are the memories in his head real, or are they nightmares? In the sparse but effectively used archive footage, we see flashes of Mozambique’s colonial past, independence struggle and civil war in a dynamic interplay with the dance. As Nyusi shares his story with his son, he offers an in-depth look at the country’s collective memories while working towards leaving his own legacy as an artist.

THE SOUND OF MASKS

Festivals& Awards

Festivals
& Awards