Sambizanga is a straightforward and distressing film about one man being wrongfully imprisoned and atrociously mistreated while imprisoned, and his wife continually trying to find out where he's been taken.
It's presented in a very realistic way which only adds to the tension and discomfort. It's a no-nonsense film with a clear message, and it takes a direct approach in making said message clear. I think what it says is important, and mostly like the approach/execution, though it can lead to some slower parts and a bit of repetition (by design, maybe, but still).
I think this is worth seeking out though. It seems pretty obscure, but I think it received a decent number of votes on the latest Sight and Sound poll, and MUBI has a nicely remastered version of it, so it'll hopefully end up on a few more people's radars in time.
Plot summary
Domingos is a member of an African liberation movement, arrested by the Portuguese secret police, after bloody events in Angola. His wife goes from a prison station to another, trying in vain to find out where he is.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
October 18, 2022 at 07:52 PM
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
A difficult watch
Greal African political film
Angolan-Congolese film on Portuguese colonial opression, with traits os neorealism, a quite good cinematography and a moving soundtrack.