Hanami

Cape Verdean filmmaker Denise Fernandes’s striking debut feature is a poetic meditation on belonging and becoming. Nia makes the difficult decision to emigrate from the island of Fogo, off Africa’s west coast, in search of better opportunities in Europe. Before leaving, she entrusts the care of her newborn daughter, Nana, to her female neighbours. As she grows up, Nana becomes attuned to the elemental rhythms of the land and sea, until a mysterious illness draws her into a liminal dreamscap – one where memory and myth, natural and supernatural, begin to blur. When her mother returns, she must face the question of whether she, too, must confront the distance – physical and emotional –that marred their relationship. Fogo is more than just a canvas for Hanami’s rich images of raging oceans, lush forests and tempestuous volcanic activity; it’s also a protagonist that’s central to the unfolding events. At times rendering the island’s beauty and volatility with a magic-realist lens, Denise Fernandes –who won Best Emerging Director at Locarno, where the film also received a Special Mention in the First Feature Competition –captures the transience of life in an isolated community in which departures are frequent and reunions uncertain. Taking eight years from idea to fruition, this enchanting, indelible coming-of-age tale invokes the spirit of its Japanese title: the transformative act of contemplating moments of ephemeral beauty. “Profoundly moving ...The exquisite sound design, in combination with the beautiful story and stunning visuals, creates a sublimely immersive experience.” – Cineuropa