Two new films from African you can’t see anywhere else.
VTIFF is committed to bringing the best international films to Vermont, and sometimes that means bringing in films that don’t have an American distributor, which means they can’t be streamed or seen anywhere else… only at VTIFF. These two films fit that bill.
Set in the vibrant city of Maputo, Mozambique, Era Oculta (Hidden Era) centers on Rastafari artist Phambi (Isaac Tivane). Struggling financially, though not artistically, Phambi is like any other parent who wants a better life for their child—he wants the best education possible for his son, Ixon. But Phambi’s issues making the school’s payments puts Ixon in perpetual peril of expulsion. When his newest work, a semi-nude portrait of Paula, a feminist who believes in expressing herself through her body, becomes a symbol of activism in the community, Phambi sees a path forward to making a living.
Much of the joy in the film comes from driving through the streets of Maputo, which becomes another character in the film.