Grades 10-12, College, Adult
Directed by Licinio Azevedo
Produced by Ebano Multimedia Lda
DVD Purchase $79, Rent $45
US Release Date: 1994
Copyright Date: 1994
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-619-5
VHS ISBN: 1-56029-592-9
Subjects
African Studies
Developing World
Environment
Humanities
Immigration
Migration
Migration and Refugees
Population
Refugees
War
War and Peace
Awards and Festivals
Best International Co-Production, Prix Leonardo, Italy
Best Cultural Documentary, Southern African Film Festival, Zimbabwe
Untold Stories Award, One World Broadcasting Trust
The Tree of Our Forefathers
A refugee family makes the long journey home, returning from exile to Mozambique.
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"Worth a year of news dispatches from the famine camps." The Guide |
During the 15-year civil war in Mozambique, one and a half million people fled to seek refuge in neighboring countries. There was no time for ceremonial leave-taking, no time to pay the proper respects to the dead. But in 1993, with the war finally over, the refugees began to return home.
Licinio Azevedo's moving documentary is the story of one family's long journey back to seek the forefathers' atonement under the village tree.
The film follows Alexandre Ferrao and his extended family as they toil home across a land emptied of people and littered with the twisted scrapmetal of warfare. At night, around the camp fire, the family recount their experiences of the years in exile and their fears for what they might find when they finally reach home.
Other titles in the series are:
Désounen - Dialogue with Death - Impressionistic look reveals the reality of daily life in Haiti.
The Legacy of Malthus - Argues that overpopulation is not the real cause of poverty.
The Tale of The Three Lost Jewels - A tale of love and hope in the Gaza Strip.
Reviews
"A remarkable video that almost begs to be watched...This poignant but ultimately hopeful film...is a compelling help to understand how these refugees are our brothers and sisters."
"Celebrates the endurance of the human spirit."
"How easy it is to avoid the pain and suffering of countless millions of refugees in the world today...In this video...we are challenged to encounter the stranger in all of his humanness by watching the story unfold of the return home of a Mozambique refugee."
"Worth a year of news dispatches from the famine camps. These are neighbors, not statistics."