Mariana and the Moon

Film

by Licínio Azevedo

Details

Mozambique / 1999 / 70mins / Documentary / Portuguese and English

Mariana Mpande, a traditional healer and leader in a remote Mozambican village, goes to the United States to publicize the experience of community management in natural resources that have changed the life of the region where she lives, an area rich in wildlife. Extroverted and communicative, Mariana captivates audiences of intellectuals in Washington, New York and Berkeley. Koro, the monkey, is a spirit that governs her healing activities. This spirit enters into communion with Indian spirits on a reservation in northern California, and with Hawaiian spirits in the crater of a volcano.

About the Director

Licínio Azevedo

Licínio Azevedo (born in Porto Alegre, Brazil) is an independent filmmaker and co-founder of the Mozambican film production company, Ebano Multimedia. In 1977, he was invited by filmmaker Rui Guerra to join the National Institute of Cinema (INC) in Mozambique, and soon after embarked on a prolific career as a documentary filmmaker. He has directed and produced many award-winning documentaries, which have been screened at numerous international festivals. Tchuma Tchato (1997) won a Panda Award at the Wildscreen Festival in the UK in 1998 and was chosen as a finalist at the Third International Environmental Film Festival in Pretoria in 1997. Azevedo has produced and directed several feature films. He is also a writer and his collection of stories on the Mozambican War of Independence formed the basis of Mozambique's first full-length feature film. Virgem Margarida, his 2012 drama, won 2 awards at the Amiens International Film Festival. His 2016 drama, The Train of Salt and Sugar, was nominated for numerous awards and won Best Director at Cairo International Film Festival and the Tanit d'Or for Best Film and Narrative Feature Film at Carthage Film Festival. Learn More