Djon África
Description
At loose ends in Lisbon, Miguel (Miguel Moreira) is prompted by a chance encounter to search for the father he has never known in Cape Verde, where he encounters a diverse mélange of residents. From cheeky bus riders to a ribald farmwoman who serves as a kind of cultural griot, Guerra and Reis’s winning and funny debut uses the road movie format as its jumping-off point for a culturally rich portrait of the verdant and beautiful landscapes of Cape Verde.
“Keenly aware of how landscape, language, and local customs lure us into feeling part of a culture not entirely our own, the film extends a loving hand to the confused lead character as well as to a nation the Portuguese directors know they ultimately can never approach from the inside.” – Jay Weissberg, Variety
On April 8th, ASL interpretation will be provided for the introduction and Q&A.
João Miller Guerra and Filipa Reis are partners in life as well as work. Among their films are Li ká terra (2010), Cama de Gato (2012), and Fora da Vida (2015). The roots of Djon África arose from their own lives, “The sudden death of my father triggered this adventure. After that big, sad moment we looked at actor Miguel Moreira, a close friend, with whom we had made other films – he had never met his father. We decided that would be our motive. Miguel would go searching for his father, as well as his own identity in a new place (for him and for us), Cape Verde,” says Miller Guerra. (Screen Daily)
Trailer
//player.vimeo.com/video/258416929Film Details
Language Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole
Year 2018
Runtime 98
Country Portugal/Brazil/Cape Verde
Director João Miller Guerra, Filipa Reis
Producer Pedro Pinho
Writer Pedro Pinho, João Miller Guerra
Editor Eduardo Serrano, Ricardo Pretti, Luisa Homem
Cinematographer Vasco Viana
Cast Miguel Moreira, Isabel Cardoso, Joana Furtado