afrol News, 13 April - The movie industry seems to have discovered the potential of Mozambique. 'Margarida' and 'A república di mininus' are the two new feature movies that have just started their filming in Mozambique these days. Both are coproductions between Mozambique, Portugal and France.

'Margarida' is a film by Licinio de Azevedo, writer and director of Brazilian origin and resident in Mozambique since 1977, produced by Ebano Multimedia (Mozambique), Ukbar Filmes (Portugal) and Liaison Cinématographique (France).

"Margarida is a film about destiny," reveals Mr Azevedo, who chose the capital of Mozambique, Maputo, and the district of Sussundenga for the filming of the movie. "I needed a dense forest and a river where people could take a bath," Mr Azebedo told the Mozambican independent weekly 'Savana'. The film is made in Mozambique, produced by Peter Pepper, coproduced by Ukbar Filmes and Liaison Cinématographique.

"Mozambique, 1975. After 500 years of Portuguese colonisation, Mozambicans hoist their flag for the first time. It is a moment of great emotion, great expectations, but also a glimpse into their future. The policy changes are not just cosmetic. It is necessary to transmit a new way of seeing life, a new political approach on the country to people living in areas occupied by the colonial powers, which inevitably means a radical change in habits and behaviours, and accept a form of relationship between Mozambique and the world," says Licinio Azevedo.

Among the works by Licinio de Azevedo, 'A Guerra da Água' ('Water War', Mozambique, 1996), 'Desobediência' ('Disobedience', Mozambique, 2002), 'O Grande Bazar' ('The Graat Bazaar', Mozambique, 2005) are seen as key. In addition to having won numerous international awards, he is the founder of the Mozambican producing company Ebano Multimedia.

For its part, the film 'A república di mininus', directed by Flora Gomes of Guinea-Bissau, is produced by Filmes do Tejo (Portugal) and Les Films de l'Aprés Midi (France), in collaboration with Ebano Multimedia (Mozambique).

"As a filmmaker, I feel like I am on a swing that balances around Africa. Sometimes when I travel around all its width from one extreme to another, shaken by events, my view on this continent becomes ironic, sceptical, and I want to run away. 'But where?'" were the words of Flora Gomes, who chose to go to Mozambique for her latest work, 'A república di mininus'.

'A república di mininus' is a story that does not pretend to seem plausible. It is a story that gives rise to reflection and laughter, concludes Mr Gomes in an interview with 'Savana'.

Flora Gomes, born in Cadique, Guinea-Bissau, in 1949, is a pioneer of the film industry in Guinea-Bissau and one of the most representative African filmmakers. He is known for his original way of drawing pictures using African myths and contemporary history, in a delicate fusion of elements with strong poetic charge and universal sense.

Mr Gomes began his film production with the film 'O Regresso Cabral' (1976), which was followed by works such as 'A Reconstrução' (1977), 'Mortu Nega' (1987), 'Os Olhos Azuis de Yonta' (1992) 'A máscara' (1994), 'Nha Fala' (2002), and 'As duas faces da Guerra' (2007), among other works.

The shooting of these two projects in Mozambique are to take place between April and June. In Mozambique the projects are strongly welcomed and seen as a good way to give the country international visibility, create jobs and inspire the national film industry.