The Blue Eyes of Yonta

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Udju Azui di Yonta
The Blue Eyes of Yonta (1991) Film Poster.jpg
Directed by Flora 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
Language Guinea-Bissau Creole

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 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]

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References

  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.