The Island of Contenda

Overview

Cape Verde, 1964. At the feet of a mighty volcano, the traditional Cape Verdean society is undergoing a steady change. The old land-owning aristocracy is disintegrating. A class of "mulattos" begins to emerge, with a trade-based financial power that threatens the landlords. A new identity arises, a mix of old and new, of African and Portuguese culture, sensual and dynamic. The songs of Cesária Évora follow this inevitable transformation. From the novel by Henrique Teixeira de Sousa.

Production Companies

Instituto Português da Arte Cinematográfica e Audiovisual, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Instituto Caboverdiano de Cinema, Ministère de la Communauté Française de Belgique, Ministère de la culture, Ministère de la Coopération, European Script Fund, Tobis Portuguesa, Vermedia, Saga Film, RTP