ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the representations of women within the context of the nationalist struggle in Angola. Sambizanga (Maldoror 1972) is set in 1961 Angola and follows the experiences of a husband and wife, Domingos Xavier and Maria, whose lives are disrupted when Portuguese colonial officials arrest Domingos for his political activities. Maria leaves home with her baby to search for her husband and, through this search, is exposed to the brutalities of colonial rule. Most analyses of Sambizanga focus more on the feminist influences reflected in the film because the film pays attention to women’s experiences and was directed by a woman activist. However, many other individuals and institutions with their own interests, perceptions and varying degrees of power contributed significantly to the film’s production and distribution processes. This chapter demonstrates how the interests of these various collaborators interacted in complex ways that ultimately undermined the representations of Angolan women’s agency and distorted their relationship with the colonial state and the nationalist movement.
