The Battle of Tabatô, by João Viana (2013)

Praised by his daughter Fatu, Baio comes back to Guinea-Bissau 30 years after his exile. Fatu needs him to be at her wedding, a very dear day for her. She is marrying Idrissa, the famous singer of the Supercamarimba band. The ceremony will take place in Tabatô, a village of musicians. As Baio returns to old places he once knew, memories of the war of independence are resurfacing. To put the war and its ghosts to rest, Idrissa will give a last battle…

The Battle of Tabato offers a non-Eurocentric perspective of Africa, and a different approach to Guinea-Bissau political history. This feature is also a tribute to Mandingo music. The Battle of Tabato is a lyrical poem and a song for peace.

« An helming debut » – Variety, USA (2013)
« One of the more offbeat premieres at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival » – The Hollywood Reporter, USA (2013)

FESTIVALS

  • Berlinale Forum (Germany, 2013), Special Mention Feature Debute
  • Festival del Cinema Africano, d’Asia e America Latina (Italy, 2013), Best African Film
  • Olhar de Cinema (Brazil, 2013), Curitiba International Film Festival
  • Guanajuato Film Festival (Mexico, 2013), Official competition
  • Indie Lisboa (Portugal, 2013), National and international Competition
  • FIDMarseille (France, 2013), Out of competition
  • 35th Moscow IFF – “Portuguese Euphoria”(Russia, 2013), Official Out-of-Competition
  • Contemporary Art Museum MALBA (Argentina, 2013), Semana de cine portugués en Buenos Aires
  • European Film festival Palic (Serbia, 2013)
  • Durban IFF (South Africa, 2013)
  • Festival Cinémas d’Afrique (Switzerland, 2013)

PHOTOS

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TRAILER

TECHNICAL SHEET

  • Original title: A Batalha de Tabatô
  • Casting: Fatu Djebaté, Mamadu Baio, Mutar Djebaté
  • Writter and director: João Viana
  • Photographer: Mario Miranda
  • Sound: António Pedro Figueiredo, Mario Dias, Nuno Carvalho and Joaquim Pinto
  • Music: Pedro Carneiro
  • Editing: Edgar Feldman
  • Producer: João Viana
  • Production: Papaveronoir
  • Length: 83′
  • Year: 2013
  • Countries: Guinea-Bissau, Portugal
  • Language: Mandinka
  • Subtitles: French, English and Spanish
  • Image: ratio 1.77
  • Sound: ratio 5.1
  • Screening formats: DCP, Blu-Ray
  • International sales: Capricci Films
  • Available territories: all except Portugal