Guinea Bissau / 1988 / 93mins / Historical Drama, War / Criolo

Mortu Nega covers the period from January 1973 during the closing months of the war against the Portuguese until the consolidation of an independent Guinea-Bissau in 1974 and 1975. The film begins in the bush with a convoy on the supply road from Conakry to the front. The heroine, Diminga, who emerges from there and the story of her unflagging loyalty to her husband, Sako, a wounded guerilla commander, carries the sense of solidarity developed among the freedom fighters.

Flora Gomes

Flora Gomes, born Florentino Gomes, was born in Cadique, Guinea-Bissau in 1949. He studied cinema in Cuba before receiving instruction from Paulin Soumanou Vieyra on newsreel production in Senegal and working as a journalist. His career took off with Mortu Nega (Those Whom Death Refused) in 1988, which was awarded many international prizes and had commercial success. This was followed in 1992 by Udju Azul di Yonta (The Blue Eyes of Yonta), which was elected for Un certain regard at Cannes. In 1996 he presented his film Po di Sangui (Tree of Blood) for competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Many critics consider the award-winning film to be his best. His feature film My Voice (Nha fala) (2002) has also won him several local and international awards. In 2005, Gomes was recognized by the University of Lisbon, receiving a medal celebrating the universality of his work. In the same year, Gomes was the president of the ECOWAS jury at the Pan-African Film and Television Festival (FESPACO). Gomes' films often deal with history, memory and modern cultural identity in post-independence Guinea-Bissau. Learn More