Sana Na N’Hada offers a vast and romantic historical mural, where temps mingle. What remains of the beliefs of the ancestors in a changing country? What is left of the revolutions when they betray their ideals? A powerful and inspiring movie.
The film begins with a funeral scene: a young boy, Rassi, must jump over his father’s dead body. After that, he is sent to the sacred forest, to make a file topomelon. The idea of getting started requires time, patience, and agreement with nature. We are involved 1969and the war for independence Guinea Bissau Raging since 1956.
In this small village, young Nome naturally stands out with his courage and wit. its name no Me, which means the name itself. “I have the same namehe said smiling. But whose name is it? His uncle called him that. So, to whom, what will he stick himself to? When you are beautiful Nampo He is sent to the village, and falls in love with her. But his thirst for freedom and desire for achievement will lead him elsewhere, towards my fighters Paigefighting against the Portuguese.
deserted, pregnant, Nampo They will face terrible hardships. no Me, for its part, is revealed in the work. But for what purpose? Sana na nahada Time periods intertwine: between the stillness of the sky and the jungle and the turmoil of history, the rhythm changes radically. Did Nomi cut himself off from his roots? Doesn’t the freedom he aims at risk enslaving him?
The story is fluidly articulated, between a war movie – with archival footage filmed by Sana na nahada – a wonderful tale, sometimes turning into fantasy. Romanesque, the single story collides with the great story, which disturbs the small village ecosystem. A farmer, then a warrior, Nomi adapts to everything, like a chameleon. We find him wearing a suit and tie clip, pretending to speak French. What did he win? What did he lose? What else does he remember? What are things called when they change?
In the most beautiful scenes of the film, the spirit of the forest appears and is slightly transparent. He speaks, moves things, takes in and brings life back. He does not conclude his words, but asks:Is this a great happiness for Guinea?“.
no Me Written by Sana Na Nehada, Guinea-Bissau, France, Portugal, Anogola 1h52, 2023. ACID Selection, Cannes 2023.
Visuals: Official photo from the movie ©
