Mabata Bata

Mabata Bata, is a 2017 Mozambique documentary drama film directed by Sol de Carvalho and co-produced by the director himself along with Rodrigo Areias	and Ricardo Freitas for Bando à parte Promarte Films. The film is adapted from the short story “The Day Mabata Bata Exploded” written by Mozambican writer Mia Couto. The film describes the life of Azarias, a young orphaned shepherd who take care of the oxen herd. Even though he dreams of going to school, he is later accompany with Mabata Bata, the herd’s biggest ox to continue his life.

The TV movie version was released on 30 April 2017 in Portugal and 1 May 2017 in Brazil. On 30 January 2019, the film was released at International Film Festival Rotterdam in Netherlands. The film was shot around the locations in Chibuto, Gaza and Mozambique.

Cast

 * Emílio Bila as Azarias
 * Filomena Remigio as Carolina
 * Esperança Naiene as Irondina
 * Medianeira Massingue as Lúcia
 * Mário Mabjaia as Espírito
 * Horácio Guiamba as Raul
 * Wilton Boene as José
 * Shcozo Ichiyama

Awards and accolades
The film received positive reviews and won several awards at international film festivals.


 * II Festival Atlantis Film Awards – Special Mention Award
 * Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) – Jorge Quintela, Best Photography of a Fiction Feature Film Award
 * Pan–African Festival of Cinema and Television of Ouagadougou – André Guiomar, Best Editing Award
 * Antonio Loja Neves Award from the Portuguese Federation of Film Clubs (FPCC) – Best Film Award
 * Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema, Russia, 2019 – Dialogues of Cultures in the Islamic World Award
 * New York City Independent Film Festival, 2019 – Best Fiction Film Award
 * Luxor African Film Festival, 2019 – Radwan El-Kashef Award for Best Film on an African theme.
 * Cabo Verde International Film Festival – Best Film Award
 * 17th Angers African Film Festival – Young Jury Award for Best Film
 * Langston Hughes African American Festival (LHAAFF), 2019 – Best Film Award