
Sambizanga
1973 · Movie · NR · 98 min · ★ 7.2
This revolutionary bombshell by Sarah Maldoror chronicles the awakening of Angola’s independence movement. Based on a true story, SAMBIZANGA follows a young woman as she makes her way from the outskirts of Luanda toward the city’s center looking for her husband after his arrest by the Portuguese authorities—an incident that will ultimately help to ignite a national uprising. Featuring a cast of nonprofessionals—many of whom were themselves involved in anticolonial resistance—this landmark work of political cinema honors the essential roles of women, as well as the hardships they endure, in the global struggle for liberation.
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Streaming on The Criterion Channel.
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Details
- Years
- 1973
- Release date
- 1973-04-26
- Language
- LN
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 98 min
- TMDB rating
- 7.2/10 (32 votes)
Themes
- africa
- colonialism
- woman director
- angola
- panafricanism
- liberation war
Cast & crew

Elisa Andrade
as Maria
- DO
Domingos de Oliveira
as Domingos
- JM
Jean M'Vondo
as Petelo
- DA
Dino Abelino
as Zito
- BM
Benoît Moutsila
as Chico
- TA
Talagongo
as Miguel
- LR
Lopes Rodrigues
as Mussunda
- HM
Henriette Meya
as Bébiana
- MV
Manuel Videira
as PIDE Agent
- AW
Ana Wilson
as Narrator (voice)
Directed by Sarah Maldoror