Directed by Sana Na N’Hada (Guinea-Bissau, 2013) 115min
Introduction by Professor Fernando Arenas (University of Michigan)

“Kadjike” is set on the pristine shores of the Bijagós Archipelago, off the coast of W. Africa, and follows the lives and rituals of the islanders as they face up to the threat of drug traffickers in their midst. In the last decade Guinea-Bissau became a transit hub for cocaine trading between Latin America and Europe. “Kadjike” is a coming of age drama and a meditation on the schism between traditional Guinean customs and the rising tide of modernity — a constant theme throughout N’Hada’s cinematic career.

On the eve of his initiation into adulthood Ankina is torn between his responsibilities to his people and his love for a girl with whom customs forbid a relation. Drug traffickers promising a better life in the city lure his boyhood friend Toh away from the island. Facing important decisions at the crossroads of their young lives, both boys must find a way out of their predicaments – a way back to their people. The poignancy of this film lies in the juxtaposition between the natural beauty of the archipelago and the imminent dangers that lurk in the shadows of this fragile world. (Adapted from text by Anna Laerke Koefoed, Afritorial)

Co-sponsored by: Brazil Initiative / Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies • LSA • International Institute • African Studies Center • Department of Afro-American and African Studies • Institute for the Humanities • Department of Romance Languages and Literatures • Sheldon Cohn Fund / Department of Screen Arts and Cultures • Center for European Studies.