15/08/2024 - Diving deep into the ocean of immigration, Denise Fernandes' feature creates its own unique realistic yet magical universe

Denise Fernandes returns to the Locarno Film Festival with her debut feature, Hanami [+see also:
interview: Denise Fernandes
film profile], which is part of this year’s Cineasti del Presente competition. Set on the island of Fogo, Cape Verde, Hanami offers an enchanting glimpse of this volcanic island, along with a profoundly moving story of longing and belonging.

The film starts with Nia (Alice da Luz), as she decides to embark on her own journey off the island, in search of a better life. This is, in fact, a backstory for her newborn child, Nana, the protagonist, whom she has to leave behind. In this first, brief introductory chapter, which gives a voice to Nia, there’s a performative ritual in which Nana is passed along a line of women. It’s an act that reveals all the love, care and feminine energy that will surround this child as she grows up, even if she’s apart from her mother. And it’s not just the women: Nana, like every single one of them, is also visually embraced by the island itself. This landscape will be present in many ways throughout the film, not only in the different geographical settings – ranging from the deserted drylands to the black-sand beaches – but also thanks to the exquisite sound design that, in combination with the beautiful story and stunning visuals, creates a sublimely immersive experience. Like holding a conch shell close to one’s ear, the audience can listen closely to the (almost omnipresent) waves of the ocean – representing what comes and goes – and focus on the narrative that unfolds.

Nana, whose life journey we follow in two different stages, through her childhood (where she is played by Dailma Mendes) and her adolescence (Sanaya Andrade), is portrayed as an observant person who interacts and connects with her surroundings, family and friends – whether human or animal – with few words and a profound, fascinating gaze. The camera feels just as observant throughout, allowing all of the meticulous set and costume design elements, as well as the characters’ subtle body language, to strongly enrich the storyline.

Nana is a sensitive person, falling ill with a high fever at different moments. The healing process differs. In her childhood phase, Nana is sent to the interior of the island to recover with a healer. This trip is also like a portal enabling a stylistic shift: moving closer to the volcano means getting closer to a fascinating land that awakens the child’s imagination. A place where the film allows itself to move into a more magical, surrealistic space. As it subsequently comes back to reality, to Nana’s home, then moving forward to adolescence, it becomes evident that the movie has a defined, linear temporal and narrative route, yet still manages to flow seamlessly through all its shifts, while jumping between different formal approaches or from one age to another.

As Nana becomes a teenager, she has to deal with “returns”, including a visit from her mother. In their first interactions, there’s a clear intention to make visual use of reflections (in mirrors or glass) as a way to highlight both their distance and their proximity. As their bond grows stronger and more grounded, those same reflections fade. In this later stage in Nana’s life, and as all of those who left and those who stayed reunite, the lingering question in her mind becomes stronger than ever: should she stay or should she go? But maybe one, more pressing, question is resolved: leaving doesn’t always have to mean not loving, and staying doesn’t have to mean not dreaming.

Hanami is a Swiss-Portuguese-Cape Verdean production staged by Alina Film and O Som e a Fúria production, in co-production with Ventura Film and RSI Radiotelevisione Svizerra. The international sales rights are handled by MoreThan Films.