Malês portrays the difficult living conditions of Black men and women in 19th-century Bahia, fighting against extreme racism, poverty, and religious intolerance. The film features a prominent cast, including Rocco and Camila Pitanga, Wilson Rabelo, Bukassa Kabengele, Samira Carvalho, Rodrigo de Odé, Heraldo de Deus, and Patricia Pillar, along with the director Antonio Pitanga. The script is written by Manuela Dias, and the cinematography is by Pedro Farkas.
The film, based on historical facts, depicts the Malês Revolt, the largest organized uprising by enslaved people in Brazilian history. The insurrection mobilized the enslaved and free Black population through the streets of Salvador against slavery in 1835. Led by Muslim Africans, called Malês, the rebellion took place at the end of Ramadan, celebrated in January by Islam. After the revolt’s failure, the demonstrators were severely punished, and repression against Black people in Brazil increased.
In the feature, Antonio Pitanga plays Pacífico Licutan, one of the leaders of the uprising, who emphasized the importance of participation from different tribes and religions for the revolt’s success and the end of slavery. The film also presents other participants of the revolt, such as Anuna (Rodrigo dos Santos), Manuel Calafate (Bukassa Kabengele), Vitério Sule (Heraldo de Deus), and Luis Sanim (Thiago Justino), along with fictional characters who portray real-life dramas, such as Dassalu (Rocco Pitanga), Sabina (Camila Pitanga), and Abayome (Samira Carvalho).
The film, based on historical facts, depicts the Malês Revolt, the largest organized uprising by enslaved people in Brazilian history. The insurrection mobilized the enslaved and free Black population through the streets of Salvador against slavery in 1835. Led by Muslim Africans, called Malês, the rebellion took place at the end of Ramadan, celebrated in January by Islam. After the revolt’s failure, the demonstrators were severely punished, and repression against Black people in Brazil increased.
In the feature, Antonio Pitanga plays Pacífico Licutan, one of the leaders of the uprising, who emphasized the importance of participation from different tribes and religions for the revolt’s success and the end of slavery. The film also presents other participants of the revolt, such as Anuna (Rodrigo dos Santos), Manuel Calafate (Bukassa Kabengele), Vitério Sule (Heraldo de Deus), and Luis Sanim (Thiago Justino), along with fictional characters who portray real-life dramas, such as Dassalu (Rocco Pitanga), Sabina (Camila Pitanga), and Abayome (Samira Carvalho).
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