Napomuceno's Will (USA) / Testamento (USA) /

  • Testament de Monsieur Napumoceno (Le)
Genre : Drama
Type : Fiction
Original title : O Testamento do Senhor Napomuceno (Titre original) / Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno da Silva Araujo, O
Principal country concerned : Column : Cinema/tv
Year of production : 1996
Format : Feature
Running time : 110 (in minutes)

Baseado na obra do romancista cabo-verdiano Germano Almeida, o filme acompanha a trajetória do senhor Napomuceno, um dos homens mais ricos do arquipélago de Cabo Verde. Ali, ele fez sua fortuna e sua vida.

Quando ele morre, sua almejada fortuna tem um único e inesperado destino: a mestiça Graça, de 25 anos, filha de Napomuceno com uma mulher negra. Essa decisão acaba revelando segredos para seu sobrinho, que pensava ser o único herdeiro do tio.

Ele deixa para a filha não apenas a fortuna mas também várias fitas gravadas, nas quais conta toda a sua vida, desde a chegada a Cabo Verde, em 1928, com apenas 15 anos, até seu sucesso como comerciante.

Aos poucos, vai descobrindo a verdadeira personalidade do pai: um homem ambicioso, inteligente, astuto, oportunista mas sensível e apaixonado. Ao longo dos relatos, Graça se sente cada vez mais ligada a este homem, descobrindo que ela e sua mãe foram as duas únicas paixões na vida dele.

DIREÇÃO: Francisco Manso
ROTEIRO: Mário Prata
FOTOGRAFIA: Edgar Moura
MONTAGEM: Luis Sobral
MÚSICA: Tito Paris, Toy Vieira
PRODUTOR: Nikola Machenko, Pierre Rival
ELENCO: Nelson Xavier, Maria Ceiça, Chico Diaz, Zezé Motta, Via Negromonte, Milton Gonçalvez, Karla Leal

PRODUÇÃO: Cine-Luz (Sandra Werneck), Rio de Janeiro Tel: 21 259-0260; J.L. Vasconcelos, Lisboa Tel: 1 885-1758 Fax: 1 885-2674
WORLD SALES: Cine-Luz (Sandra Werneck), Rio de Janeiro Tel: 21 259-0260; J.L. Vasconcelos, Lisboa Tel: 1 885-1758 Fax: 1 885-2674

TÍTULO ORIGINAL: O Testamento do Senhor Napomuceno
Col., 110 min., 1996

PARTICIPAÇÃO EM FESTIVAIS:
Gramado
Sao Paulo

_____________________________

Napumoceno da Silva Araújo was the most successful business man of the Cabo Verde's archipelago. It's why his death (in 1984) didn't let anyone unconcerned above all in Mindelo's town, where he lived. Carlos, his nephew, was already seeing himself sitting in the director's chair of the import-export company's Araujo Lda, and the heir of his estates. But his uncle's life was hidding some secrets, wich will soon be revealed by his testament and by some recorded tapes for Graça, his illegitimate daughter, the unexpected heiress of all his fortune. Gradually, Graça discovers the real personality of Napumoceno : an ambitious, clever, apportunist man… but also sensitive and passionate. Amused with the confessions of her father, in what concerns the little orthodoxe and incredible way he got his fortune, what surprises and attacts her more are the revelations about the women of his life. Who could imagine it… because of his reputation of eternal single !

Portuguese-speaking African films

Writer: Mário Prata
Camera: Edgar Moura
Sound: Carlos Alberto Lopes
Music: Tito Paris, Toy Vieira
Editor: Luis Sobral

Cast
Nelson Yavier, Maria Ceiça, Chico Diaz, Zezé Motta, Via Negromonte, Milton Gonçalves, Francisco de Assis, Karla Leal, Camacho Costa, Elisa Lucinda, José Eduardo, Veluma D'Oba


Directed by
Francisco Manso

Writing credits
Germano de Almeida (novel)
Mário Prata

Cast (in credits order)
Nelson Xavier... Napumoceno
Maria Ceiça... Graça
Chico Díaz... Carlos
Zezé Motta... Eduarda
Vya Negromonte... Mari Chica (as Via Negromonte)
Milton Gonçalves... The Mayor
Francisco de Assis... Fonseca
Karla Leal... Adélia
Camacho Costa... Paiva
Elisa Lucinda... Dona Jóia
José Eduardo... Dr. Scusa
Veluma D'Oba... Chez-Nous
Horácio Santos... Baptista
Eliezer Motta... Band Leader
Alexandre de Sousa... Benoliel
Manuel Estevão... Manuel
Silvestre Évora... Notário
Cesária Évora... Arminda
Adriano Almeida... Armando
Odete Mosso... Carlos' Girlfriend
João Branco... Cabaret Announcer
Paulo Miranda... Paulo
Mário Matos... Dr. Leandro Ferreira
Vítor Cansado... Doctor
Tiago Gonçalves... Napumoceno (15 years)
Tiago Mayer... Napumoceno (23 years)
Ana Firmino... Dona Rosa
Armanda Silva... Carregadora
Euclides Sequeira... Band Musician
Ângela Spínola... Graça (12 years)
Maysa Cunha... Graça's Friend (12 years)
Elisabete'Bety' Gomes... Graça's Friend (12 years)
Gabriel Borges... Man
Ângelo Gonçalves... Man
António Silva... Man
Fonseca Soares... Radio Newscaster
Fátima Cruz... Dona Bibi
Margarida Martins... Dindinha
São Costa... Conceição
Yara Cardoso... Jovem no Cemitério
Luís Morais... Homem de Barba no Cemitério
Leandro Ferreira... English Sailor
Orlando'Yellow' Morais... English Sailor
Elísio Leite... Guarda Fiscal
Paulo Belo... Sailor in Cabaret
Carlos Alberto Teixeira... Drugstore Clerk
Tchale Figueira... Bartender
Alberto Gomes... Bartender
Joaquim Estevão... Deputy Mayor
Artur Agostinho... Sportscaster (voice)
Luís Lobo... Radio Newscaster (voice)
Luís de Matos... Radio Newscaster (voice)
Vera Gomes... Carregadora/Aeroporto (voice)

Produced by
Jom Tob Azulay.... delegate producer
António Gonçalo.... producer
Francisco Manso.... producer
José Luís Vasconcelos.... executive producer

Original Music by
Tito Paris
Toy Vieira

Cinematography by
Edgar Moura

Film Editing by
Luís Sobral

Casting by
João Cayatte
Francisco Manso
João Milagre

Production Design by
Augusto Mayer

Costume Design by
Maria Gonzaga

Makeup Department
Ana Ferreira.... hair stylist
Aracelli Fuente.... assistant makeup artist
Ana Lorena.... key makeup artist

Production Management
João da Ponte.... production supervisor
Gilvan Pereira.... production manager: Brazil

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
João Cayatte.... first assistant director
João Milagre.... second assistant director

Art Department
António Sampaio.... carpenter
Pedro Sá Santos.... assistant decorator
Manuel Ventura.... chief carpenter

Sound Department
Zézé Gamboa.... assistant sound
Carlos Alberto Lopes.... sound
Branko Neskov.... sound mixer

Special Effects by
Fernando Monteiro.... special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Luís Apura.... electrician
Paulo Belo.... assistant electrician
Amílcar Carrajola.... first assistant camera
Horácio Henriques.... additional assistant camera
António Leitão.... grip
Paulo Miranda.... key grip
Victor'Tita' Miranda.... chief electrician
Edgar Moura.... camera operator
Joaquim Pereira.... electrician
Miguel Sales Lopes.... second assistant camera

Casting Department
Zezé Motta.... casting: Brazil

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosário Moreira.... wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Teresa Adrião.... post-production secretary
Marcelo Felix.... assistant editor

Other crew
Nuno Archer.... production assistant
José Cabral.... production assistant
Fátima Correia.... production coordinator
Leandro Ferreira.... pre-production coordinator
Vítor Moreira.... continuity
Paulo Santos.... production assistant: Cape Verde
Lurdes Tavares.... production assistant

Runtime: 117 min
Countries: Portugal / Brazil / Cape Verde / France / Belgium
Language: Portuguese
Color: Color
Aspect Ratio: 1.66 : 1
Sound Mix: Dolby
Filming Locations: Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde

Production Companies
* ADR Productions (France)
* Cineluz - Produções Cinematográficas Lda. (Brazil)
* Cobra Films (Belgium)
* Instituto Caboverdiano de Cinema (ICC) (Cape Verde)
* Instituto Português da Arte Cinematográfica e Audiovisual (IPACA, Portugal)
* J.L. Vasconcelos Lda. (Portugal)
* Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP, Portugal)

Distributors

* California Newsreel (USA)
* Filmes Castello Lopes (Portugal)
* Paris Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
* SPIA Media Productions Inc. (1998) (USA) (subtitled)


FESTIVALS

1997 | Gramado Film Festival |
> Won Golden Kikito Latin Competition: Best Actor (Competição Latino: Melhor Ator): Nelson Xavier, Tied with José Luis Ruiz Barahona for Bajo la piel (1996).
> Won Latin Competition: Best Film (Competição Latino: Melhor Filme): Francisco Manso
> Latin Competition: Best Screenplay (Competição Latino: Melhor Roteiro): Mário Prata


Sources:
Festival des 3 Continents
Internet Movie Database (IMDB)

Partners

  • Arterial network
  • Media, Sports and Entertainment Group (MSE)
  • Gens de la Caraïbe
  • Groupe 30 Afrique
  • Alliance Française VANUATU
  • PACIFIC ARTS ALLIANCE
  • FURTHER ARTS
  • Zimbabwe : Culture Fund Of Zimbabwe Trust
  • RDC : Groupe TACCEMS
  • Rwanda : Positive Production
  • Togo : Kadam Kadam
  • Niger : ONG Culture Art Humanité
  • Collectif 2004 Images
  • Africultures Burkina-Faso
  • Bénincultures / Editions Plurielles
  • Africiné
  • Afrilivres

With the support of