Mueda, Memória e Massacre (Mueda, Memory and Massacre) is a 1979 Mozambican film directed by Ruy Guerra and considered the country's first feature fiction film.[1][2] The film captures the annual theatrical re-enactment of the Mueda Massacre of 1960 that left over 600 peaceful protesters dead.[3]
Synopsis
The film depicts a re-enactment of the 1960 Mueda Massacre played by amateur Makonde actors from Mueda that have been re-enacted publicly since independence in 1975. The massacre was a key catalyst for the start of the Mozambican War of Independence and for the formation of FRELIMO.[4]
Plot
A delegation of Mozambican exiles from Tanganyika cross the border and ask the Portuguese administrator for independence. After three delegations arrive and each demand independence the administrator agrees to address their grievances at the public square in the presence of the Provincial Governor. A large crowd gathers and the Governor rejects the request for independence while arresting two of the exiles, Faustino Vamomba and Mateus Waduvani, and sending them away in jeeps. The crowd protests and attempt to stop the jeep from leaving before the soldiers open fire on the crowd.
