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Mudjer Di Independensia
A film by Francisca Da Silveira
Mudjer Di Independensia is a short film giving a modern, intimate look at the untold stories of the Cabo Verdean women who fought for their nations freedom.
Featuring Disney Legend and Tony Award Winner Anika Noni Rose, this film is about the women who shaped the outcome of a revolution. Specifically, it honors the Cabo Verdean female soldiers, nurses, educators, and resistance fighters who fought alongside Amílcar Cabral during the 1970s independence movement. The women whose names and sacrifices rarely appear in history books (Josefina Chantre, Paula Fortes, Amélia Araujo, Ana Maria Cabral and countless others.
It follows Lidia (played by Anika), an American-raised woman returning to Cabo Verde to mourn the loss of her estranged mother, only to discover her mother’s revolutionary past. Through Lidia’s journey of discovery, we reclaim the stories of women whose contributions were erased. This film centers around batuku, the traditional forbidden dance of CaboVerde, as both an artistic choice and a cultural reclamation. It’s an ode to the women fighting for something greater. It’s about honoring our people and what it means to feel at home.
There’s a critical gap in global cinema: African stories are still too often told by outsiders, and women directors, especially women of color, remain dramatically underrepresented both behind and in front of the camera. We’re building something different with Mudjer Di Independensia: a film made by Africans, for Africans and the world, with a woman at the helm and women’s stories at the center.
Be part of bringing this story to life.
For more information, visit www.mdifilmcv.com
