The Blue Eyes of Yonta

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 / 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]

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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