Film Screening - Malês: The Revolt

Watch , the long-awaited return of legendary Brazilian filmmaker and actor Antônio Pitanga. This powerful historical epic captures one of the most extraordinary acts of Black resistance in the Americas — the 1835 Malê Revolt in Bahia, Brazil. Through its sweeping storytelling, emotional depth, and cultural authenticity, Malês honors the enduring spirit of faith, love, and liberation that continues to echo across the African Diaspora.

Synopsis:
From the award-winning Brazilian filmmaker Antônio Pitanga — one of the key actors of Brazil's influential Cinema Novo movement (1960s and 70s) — Malês is a dramatic journey of courage, faith, and resistance set in 1835 Salvador, Bahia.

The film centers on a young Muslim couple ripped from their African homeland and sold into slavery in Brazil on the eve of their wedding. Separated by cruel fate, they struggle not only to survive the daily horrors of the sugar plantations and urban servitude but also to find a path back to each other. Their personal fight for survival becomes swept up in the Malê Revolt, the largest and most influential organized uprising of enslaved people in Brazilian history, led by Muslim Africans.

This powerful historical drama vividly brings to life the resilience, intellect, and unity of the enslaved and free Black communities who dared to challenge the entire institution of slavery — cementing Malês as a monumental contribution to the cinematic history of the African Diaspora.

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Host or Publisher African Diaspora International Film Festival