São Paulo – The cities of São Paulo and Salvador are hosting the African Film Festival this month, with a program of feature films and shorts from 14 countries. Among the North African Arab countries, highlights include Sudanese film Goodbye Julia (2023), which will be screened in São Paulo on Saturday (14), and Mauritania’s Black Tea (2024), which opened the festival in São Paulo and will have another screening in the city before being presented in Salvador. In Bahia the screenings will take place from September 18 to 25, and in São Paulo from September 11 to 18.
Black Tea tells the story of a young woman from Ivory Coast who immigrates to Asia and falls in love with a Chinese man. Directed by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, known for exploring themes of displacement in his work, the film is featured in the festival at the invitation of the organizers. Sissako participated in a masterclass in São Paulo and will attend screenings with the director present on Thursday (19) and Friday (20). A conversation with the director is also planned alongside the film screening.
African cinema in focus in Bahia
Goodbye Julia is directed by Sudanese filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani and is a production involving Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and France. The story unfolds amidst the personal drama of the protagonist, Julia, while Sudan faces turbulent times due to the separation of South Sudan in 2011. In São Paulo, the film will be screened on Saturday (14) at 8 PM. The documentary Donga by Libyan filmmaker Muhannad Lannin will also be featured in the festival. This production presents the internal conflicts and challenges of the country’s reconstruction.
The festival features side events in both cities, including discussions and lectures, as well as special film selections from the continent. These include screenings on the themes “The Right to Art, Land, and Mourning,” “Centennial Special on Amílcar Cabral,” “30 Years of the Rwandan Genocide Special,” and “Focus on Madagascar,” as well as the retrospective “African Film Festival,” showcasing films from the first festival in 2018. Although the films selected for the main festival are being shown in both cities, the side events differ between São Paulo and Salvador. It is necessary to confirm the dates and locations of the screenings.
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Festival explores Arab world through art of cinema
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
