The Blue Eyes of Yonta

Udju Azul di Yonta / The Blue Eyes of Yonta is a 1991 Portuguese film, the second film by the Bissau-Guinean director Flora Gomes.[1] The government of Guinea-Bissau helped in production, together with the Institute of Cinema in Portugal, Vermedia Productions, and Portuguese television.[2]

Udju Azui di Yonta
Directed byFlora Gomes
Written byManuel Rambout Barcelos, Ina Césaire, Flora Gomes, David Lang
Produced byPaulo De Sousa
CinematographyDominique Gentil
Music byAdriano Gomes Ferreira
Release date
  • February 5, 1991 (1991-02-05)
Running time
90 minutes
CountriesPortugal, Guinea-Bissau
LanguageGuinea-Bissau Creole

Udju Azul di Yonta examines the aftermath of the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence, "in the lives of those who fought, as well as in the lives of their children who are the hope of the future."[3] The film is structured around a triangle of unrequited love: the young student Zé is infatuated with the beautiful Yonta, who in turn is in love with Vicente, a militant former comrade of Yonta's father.[4]

The soundtrack was created by the band Super Mama Djombo, with members reuniting under the name for this purpose.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ Rosa Abidi (2014). "The Blue Eyes of Yonta". In Blandine Stefanson; Sheila Petty (eds.). Directory of World Cinema Africa: Directory of World Cinema Africa. Intellect Books. pp. 170–72. ISBN 978-1-78320-391-8.
  2. ^ Claire Andrade-Watkins (1995). "Portuguese African Cinema: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives, 1969-1993". In Michael T. Martin (ed.). Cinemas of the Black Diaspora: Diversity, Dependence, and Oppositionality. Wayne State University Press. p. 197. ISBN 0-8143-2588-2.
  3. ^ Sharon A. Russell (1998). "Udju Azui di Yonta / The Blue Eyes of Yonta". Guide to African Cinema. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 147–149. ISBN 978-0-313-29621-5.
  4. ^ Patrick Williams (2017). "Udju Azul di Yonta/The Blue Eyes of Yonta (Flora Gomes, 1992): Lost Dreams/Lost in Dreams?". In Lizelle Bisschoff (ed.). Africa's Lost Classics: New Histories of African Cinema. Taylor & Francis. pp. 285–. ISBN 978-1-351-57738-0.
  5. ^ Arenas, Fernando (2011). Lusophone Africa: Beyond Independence. Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-8166-6983-7.
  6. ^ Motz, Dolf (19 May 2012). "AfricOriginal: Super Mama Djombo". AfricOriginal. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
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