The Hero
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Zézé Gamboa’s feature debut explores the woes of his native Angola, where the past is a time of loss and the present a daily struggle. He skillfully weaves together the lives of four extraordinary characters: ex-soldier Vitório, whose leg was blown off by a landmine; Maria Barbara, who caters to men who mistreat her and yearns for her missing son; the orphaned young Manu, who gets into trouble in the streets; and Joana, a schoolteacher luckier than the others but cynical about the possibilities of political justice. Gamboa provides a portrait of a society reaching for its identity and a heartwarming tale of emotional rebirth through community. Angola/Portugal/France, 2004. 97 min. A California Newsreel release.
A-23a Wed March 23 at 8pm
M-24a Thu March 24 at 6pm
A Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
W Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center
M Museum of Modern Art