Paper short abstract:

This film seeks to visualise Maputo in Mozambique as one of Africa's divided cities. It provides a privileged view of the way in which symbolic and material boundaries of various urban spaces are contested, negotiated and, ultimately, inscribed onto mental maps of the city with.

Paper long abstract:

Rapid urbanisation is one of the most dramatic developments on the African continent, often yielding contrasting and shocking images of affluent businesses and residential districts alongside sprawling shantytowns or slums. While urban areas account for an increasing part of the continent's positive macro-economic development and represent opportunities for employment, education, health, leisure and well-being, urban growth is also manifested in emerging conditions of inequality and poverty, rising environmental problems, situations of political instability and riots, as well as persistent high levels of urban crime and violence.

This film project seeks to visualise one of Africa's divided cities, and is part of the research project "The Ethnography of a Divided City. Socio-Politics, Poverty and Gender in Maputo, Mozambique" funded by the Norwegian Research Council. While the film relates actively to the research project, it approaches the themes of that project from new and original angles and the Mozambican film company ANIMA has had full artistic freedom in its filmic approach. A focus on the people inhabiting the city's so-called bairros (districts/areas) provide a privileged view of the way in which symbolic and material boundaries of various urban spaces are contested, negotiated and, ultimately, inscribed onto mental maps of the city.

Year of production: 2015

Length: 73 minutes

Language: Portuguese with English subtitles