Cape Verde are making headlines in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
after going through their group unbeaten, holding Spain 0-0, Uruguay 2-2 and Saudi
Arabia 0-0. The key point here is that Cape Verde were unbeaten against two
former World Cup champions. Next, Cape Verde will take on defending World Cup Champion
Argentina in the Round of 32. Long before I knew of their soccer team, I came
across films from the nation.
Films set in Cape Verde
The first instance of Cape Verde that I came across in cinema was Pedro Costa’s Casa De Lava (1994).
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| Casa De Lava, courtesy Grasshopper films |
The next film that I saw in Cape Verde was a Portuguese
production, Djon Africa. It was a film that I adored and
programmed for my film festival in 2018.
Djon Africa (2018, Portugal, Filipa Reis/João Miller
Guerra)
In Djon Africa, Miguel Moreira’s laid-back
Portuguese life takes a turn when someone tells him he looks like his father.
Miguel doesn’t know anything about his father or his roots. When his
grandmother reveals that his father was banished to Cape Verde, Miguel makes a
quick decision to visit Cape Verde and track down his father. With minimal
information and money, Miguel’s charm ensures no door in Cape Verde is closed
for him. As he goes deeper into the island, fuelled by the national drink
grogue, reality and dreams slowly blend resulting in a life-changing journey.
Co-written by Pedro Pinho (The Nothing Factory),
Djon Africa is a playful film that highlights the picturesque
landscape of Cape Verde and raises relevant questions about identity for those
whose lives are caught between two nations.
Djon Africa came out in 2018 but its relevance can apply to many of the players of the current Cape Verde soccer team, many of whom were born elsewhere but are representing Cape Verde in the World Cup.
Appropriately, there is also a soccer film set in Cape Verde.
Dribbling Fate (Fintar O Destino, 1998, Fernando Vendrell)
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| Dribbling Fate, Courtesy of California Newsreel |
Mané (Carlos Germano) has lived his entire life in São
Vicente (Cape Verde), yet that life is tinged with regret and disappointment
due to a career path not taken. Mané was a soccer player who was invited to
play to Benfica in 1959 along with his teammate and friend Américo. Mané was a
goalie while Américo was a striker. Mane stayed behind to look after a tavern
while Américo went on to get fame at Benfica. Not much happens in São Vicente.
The tavern has the same locals, most of whom can’t pay for their drinks
including the national drink Grogue, who visit the place to pass away the time
while listening to Benfica games on the radio.
Mané trains young kids who play soccer and he is determined
to ensure a promising local kid, Kalu, gets the chance to play for Benfica and
isn’t stuck on the island. Plus, Mané wants a chance to watch Benfica play in
the cup final. So Mané cracks open his life savings to undertake a journey to
Lisbon, much to the annoyance of his wife who he leaves behind, to watch the
game. Mané also visits his son, Alberto, who he hasn’t seen in years. Alberto
has no interest in football but Mané is determined to go see the game on his
own yet he is not street smart for life in Lisbon.
Dribbling Fate has a dreamy music background
to it, much like many international films of the 1990s, and that gives the feel
a hopeful feel even though things don’t go as planned for Mané. The film has a
good heart to it and incorporates loving shots of the island.
Cinema of Cape Verde
More than a decade ago, it was tough to find films from Cape Verde. However, that appears to be changing. There is a “Nova Vaga Cabo Verde” (Cape Verdean New Cinema) which has led to more works appearing at film festivals around the world.
The following is a useful link to hunt down more films from Cape Verde: Contemporary Cape Verdean Cinema.
