O regreso de Amilcar Cabral / The Return of Amílcar Cabral (2025 restoration The Film Foundations World Cinema Project / Cineteca di Bologna) (in the presence of Sana Na N’Hada)

O regreso de Amilcar Cabral / The Return of Amílcar Cabral (GW/CH 1976).

GW (Guinea-Bissau)/CH 1976. Prod.: Cooperativa de Produção Cinematográfica e Audiovisual-Geba Filmes. 

    Director: Sana Na N’Hada. Colour. Scen., M.: Djalma Fettermann, Flora Gomes, José Bolama, Josefina Crato, Sana na N’Hada.

    32 min

    In Portuguese with English subtitles

    DCP from The Film Foundation

    Restored in 2025 by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna in association with Cooperativa de Produção Cinematográfica e Audiovisual-Geba Filmes. Funding provided by the Hobson/ Lucas Family Foundation. Restored in 4K at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, from a 16 mm color reversal print and the original 16 mm soundtrack negative preserved at Svenska Filminstitutet. Special thanks to Arsenal – Institut für Film und Videokunst.

    Il Cinema Ritrovato, Bologna 2025: Cinemalibero.

    Introduced by Sana Na N’Hada, hosted by Cecilia Cenciarelli.

    Viewed at Cinema Jolly with e-subtitles in Italian, 24 June 2025.

Sana na N’Hada interviewed by Marta Lança, “Buala”, 17 March 2025 (quoted as Bologna program note 2025): "This restoration is part of the African Film Heritage Project, an initiative created by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, the FEPACI and UNESCO – in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna – to help locate, restore and disseminate African cinema."

"The reality of Amílcar Cabral’s death began to invade my consciousness, surreptitiously and insidiously. The idea of killing comrade Cabral seemed surreal to me. I absurdly refused to believe that idea, but the incessant fighting everywhere brought me back to reality: the combatant’s anger at the death of his chief was expressed."

"In Conakry, at the PAIGC [African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde] General Secretariat, as soon as we arrived, our team of four filmmakers had a meeting with Amílcar Cabral’s widow, comrade Ana-Maria."

"She described to us the last journey she made with her husband before they returned home at night. The car they were traveling in was still at the scene of the tragedy, with a bullet hole in one of the doors. The brownish stain of Cabral’s blood stained the ground."

"Ana Maria told us that Amílcar Cabral absolutely refused to be tied up, with his hands on his back, and even more so to be taken to Bissau, as his murderers wanted. On the contrary, Amílcar Cabral vehemently insisted that they come with him to his office for a serious conversation. Even after he had been shot the first time, he still wanted to know what was going on and why."

"I no longer remember what happened to me that day, nor do I know how I got to Dakar. All I know is that, while still in Conakry, I declined the invitation to attend the trial of Amílcar Cabral’s murderers." Sana na N’Hada interviewed by Marta Lança, “Buala”, 17 March 2025 (quoted as Bologna program note 2025)

AA: Sana Na N’Hada, hosted by Cecilia Cenciarelli, told us that in this restoration, new elements have been accessed that have never been used before.

The Return of Amílcar Cabral is an engrossing memorial to the hero of resistance and liberation. I enjoyed the passion, the vibrant colour and the hypnotic force of the music. This is a musical interpretation of history and itself a piece of history.

It was very moving to meet Sana Na N’Hada whose Nome was one of my favourite films last year.