Mabata-Bata in Motion: The Transformation of Mia Couto's Narrative in Sol de Carvalho's Film

Authors

XAVIER GERALDES Lola VIANA Joao ŠPÁNKOVÁ Silvie

Year of publication 2024
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source HUMANITIES-BASEL
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Arts

Citation
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/h13020046
Keywords Mia Couto, Sol de Carvalho, decolonial, civil war, Mozambique
Description This paper analyzes Mia Couto's short story "O dia em que explodiu Mabata-bata" [The day Mabata-bata exploded] and its adaptation by Sol de Carvalho's film Mabata Bata. Through an analysis of both versions, this study aims to understand how Couto's narrative was recreated and transfigured in the film adaptation. The film adaptation of the story employs a blend of images and additional text to extend the verbal dimensions of the original story, thus creating a new experience. It establishes affinities with the original story and introduces new elements that add to the narrative's depth and complexity. The adaptation of the story in the film provides an opportunity to examine the decolonial perspective of the nation's history, portraying the symbolic metamorphosis during the civil war (1977-1992). By analyzing both the short story and the film, this study highlights the pivotal role of literature and cinema in fostering a Mozambique "de-linking" identity through language, religion and traditions.

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