Our Madness
Spring Grants 2017
João Viana / Feature Narrative / Portugal, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, France, Qatar / 2018 / 90 min / Original Language: Makua / Interests: Drama, Road Trip
Synopsis
Lucy is hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital in Mozambique. She dreams about her little son, Hanic, and her husband, Pak, who is a soldier of the war. Lucy’s musical virtuosity attracts the attention of the hospital nurses. Rosa, an envangelical priest of “Rádio Moçambique”, goes to the hospital to listen to Lucy’s song. Lucy takes this opportunity to run away from the hospital. Alone in the big city, with nothing else besides the pieces of her own bed, and struggling to find Hanic, Lucy looks for the radio’s head office. Rosa confesses to Lucy that she’s nothing else but her chauffeur’s (Muxanga) prisoner. Lucy, with the help of Muxanga finds Hanic. Muxanga tries to terrorize Lucy, but little Hanic stands up to his mother and defeats Muxanga. Lucy and Hanic travel all over Mozambique in search of Pak. They cross the river heading the war. In the Infernal Club Muxanga kills Hanic. Pak shows up and kills Muxanga and a bird appears in place of Hanic’s heart.
Credits
- Director
- João Viana
- Screenwriter
- João Viana
- Producer
- François D'Artemare, João Viana
- Production Company
- Les Films de l'Après-Midi
- Production Company
- Les Films de l'Après-Midi
About the Director
João Viana has worked in the areas of production, sound, storyboarding, direction and screenwriting, and has collaborated with directors Jean-Claude Biette, César Monteiro, Manoel de Oliveira and Werner Schroeter. He has directed his own films since 2004, beginning with ‘A Piscina’, which screened in competition at the Venice International Film Festival and is the Portuguese short fiction film that has won the most awards ever. For his next film, ‘Alfama’ (2009), he launched the production company Papaveronoir Films. His most recent work consisted of the feature-length ‘The Battle of Tabatô’ paired with a short film titled ‘Tabatô’, both of which won awards at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
"Berlinale 2018, Forum (WP)
AUGEN BLICKE AFRIKA 2018 (Germany)
Brussels IFF 2018"
"Grand Prize City of Lisbon, IndieLisboa 2018
Top Ten of the Year - National Competition, CinEuphoria Awards 2019"