KUXA KANEMA, The Birth of Cinema

By Margarida Cardoso

The history of the Mozambican Film Institute cannot be disassociated from the independence movement embodied by President Samora Machel and FRELIMO (Mozambique Liberation Front). The films, which reflect the country’s commitment to socialism and its combat for independence, are stored in an almost abandoned location, a reflection of the country itself. Those who created it – directors, screenwriters, technicians – return to the Institute to re-view these images and discuss the history of a film industry that is a unique testimonial to the country, its struggles and wars. The death of President Samora marked the end of a cinema to which the current government prefers television. This film examines the difficulty of a developing nation in surviving in a world of moving images.