Introduction

Sleepwalking Land (original: Terra Sonâmbula) is a 2007 film based on the eponymous novel by Mia Couto. The film took its director Teresa Prata seven years to complete.

Outline

In Mozambique, the civil war causes devastation among the population. Amongst this chaos, young Muidinga dreams of finding his family. One day, he finds a diary on a lifeless body in a gunned-down bus; it speaks of a woman searching for her son. Convinced that he’s the missing son, Muidinga decides to find her. On his journey he is accompanied by an old man, Tuahir, always ready to tell a tale. Their journey is a battle, and turns them into somnambulists in a country devastated by war.

Release

Awards

• FIPRESCI Award for Best Film, International Film Festival of Kerala (India), 2007.
• Best Director, Pune International Film Festival (India).
• Famafest (Portugal)
• Festival Cinema Africano, Asi, America Latina de Milano (Italia)
• Festival Indie Lisboa (Portugal)

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Teresa Prata
• Producer(s):
  • Alexander Bohr … co-producer: arte
  • António da Cunha Telles … producer
  • Pandora da Cunha Telles … producer
  • Camilo De Sousa … co-producer
• Writer(s):
  • Mia Couto … (story)
  • Teresa Prata … (scenario & adaptation)
• Music:
  • Alex Goretzki
• Cinematography:
  • Dominique Gentil
• Editor(s):
  • Paulo Rebelo
  • Jacques Witta
• Production:
  • Ebano Multimedia (co-production)
  • Filmes de Fundo
  • Instituto do Cinema, Audiovisual e Multimédia (ICAM)
  • Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) (with the support of)
  • ZDF/Arte (with the support of)
• Distributor(s):
  • ARTE (Germany, 2008)(TV)
  • Global Film Initiative (Canada, 2008)
  • Global Film Initiative (United States, 2008)
  • Marfilmes (World-wide, 2007)
• Release Date: August 2007 (Montreal Film Festival, Canada).
• Running Time: 97 minutes.
• Rating: Not Rated/15.
• Country: Germany, Mozambique, and Portugal.
• Language: Aboriginal and Portuguese.

Video Link(s)