Hassan Said
HassanSaid.com
“Alembamento: s.m. tribute of honor given by the groom to the bride's family. Dowry. Same as camangolo, between the Kikongos. Although based on common use is stipulated by the bride's parents. Made Portuguese from the Kimbundo word Ilêmbo, derived from Kulêmba.”
When Matias goes to deliver his dowry to his fiance's father, an unexpected accident makes him realize how much he is willing to fight for her love.
Matias' family has prepared a sizable dowry, or Alambamento, for his future wife Mena's family, as is customary in Angola. When he drives his cousin's Toyota to deliver it to Mena in the rough shantytown where she lives, he accidentally hits a young boy who is playing soccer. The town's people quickly gather around Matias to take retribution, and he panics both for his own safety and for the safety of his dowry.
Mena's father, Tixico, starts taking as much of the dowry out of Matias' Toyota as he can knowing full well the corrupt police and local folk will help themselves if he doesn't. In order to help Matias out of danger or appearing responsible for the accident, the police expect him to pay up.
They pretend to take him away, and then they drop him off on the road out of the shantytown, taking his Toyota and anything left in it.
Written and Directed by Mario "Fradique" Bastos
Produced by Hassan Said
Edited by Greg Whitlow
Cinematography by Jay I. Patel
Production Design by Tchiyna Matos
Sound Designer/Mixing by Matt Wood
Correia Adão, Marieta Cabuço, Dom Petro Dikota.
• WINNER of Best Short Film at Luanda International Film Festival
• WINNER of Best Film at GSP Film Festival
• SPECIAL SCREENING at Festin Itinerant Festival of Portuguese Language
• Official Selection Tenerife International Film Festival
• Official Selection Vancover International Film Festival
• Official Selection HollyShorts Film Festival
• Official Selection Bahamas International Film Festival
• Official Selection Cinema by the bay Film Festival - San Francisco Film Society
• Official Selection Pan African Film Festival
• Official Selection Black Harvest Film Festival
• Official Selection Capalbio Cinema International Film Festival
• Official Selection Molise Cinema Film Festival
• Official Selection Black Harvest Film Festival
• Official Selection Malibu Film Festival
• Official Selection Festival Amadis du Film
• Official Selection Africa In The Picture Film Festival
Indiewire [Vanessa Martinez]: Read Now
Search My Trash [Michael Haberfelner]: Read Now
LANGUAGE: Portuguese.
RUNNING TIME: 15 min
DATE OF COMPLETION: 2010
SHOOTING FORMAT: Digital
COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION: Angola - Egypt - U.S.A.
FILMING LOCATION: Luanda, Angola
DISTRIBUTION: Shorts International & TV 5 France
Cut on Final Cut Pro
Telecine by Spy Post Studios
2.35:1, Color, Stereo
official selection at the Berlinale Talent projects
WATCH THE FILM ONLINE: Amazon / iTunes / Mubi