International Premiere
Set on a remote volcanic island in Cape Verde, this mesmerizing feature debut traces three formative stages in a young woman’s life, from birth to young adulthood. We follow Hanami as she comes into her own under the care and guidance of a community of women who surround her in the absence of her mother.
Denise Fernandes reveals a sublime visual sensibility as she explores the perimeters of the mother-daughter bond with an exquisitely textured touch, peppered with moments of magical realism. She interrogates a sense of belonging through a distinctive lens, portraying the two women as counterparts of the same root; where one is pushed out by the island, the other learns to become one with the land and its ways. This is a nuanced, lyrical piece of filmmaking that observes its own storytelling tides.
Best Emerging Director Award, Locarno 2024
Presented by
Media Partner
Sanaya Andrade, Daílma Mendes, Alice da Luz, Nha Nha Rodrigues, João Galinha, Yuta Nakano
Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde
2024
In Cape Verdean Creole, Japanese, French and English with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Eugenia Mumenthaler, David Epiney, Luís Urbano, Sandro Aguilar
Screenwriter
Denise Fernandes, Telmo Churro
Cinematography
Alana Mejía Gonzalez
Editor
Selin Dettwiler
Production Design
Mathé
Original Music
Rahel Zimmermann
Denise Fernandes
Denise Fernandes (1990) was born in Lisbon to Cape Verdean parents and grew up in Switzerland. Her latest short film, Nha Mila (2020), premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in the Pardi di Domani section. Nha Mila was a European Film Awards candidate and has been screened at over 40 international film festivals. It was nominated as Best National Short Film at the Sophia Awards 2021 and invited by MoMa and Lincoln Center in New York for the New Directors/New Films Festival. Hanami, filmed in Cape Verde, is her feature directorial debut.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man
A chart topping pop star as one half of Peter and Gordon, Peter Asher was brother to Jane, brother in law to Paul McCartney, ran the Beatles' Apple, produced and managed James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and 10,000 Maniacs, to name just a few. He did it all.
The Crying Game
Notwithstanding its famous twist, Neil Jordan's moody thriller works differently on a second viewing, and hits different in 2026, with its rich and "problematic" stew of identity politics, love, violence and desire.
Romería
An orphan from a young age, 18-year-old Marina intends to pursue a university scholarship. The application, however, requires the signatures of her paternal grandparents, compelling her to embark on a pilgrimage and seek out the family she has never met.
One False Move
Billy Bob Thornton and his partners in crime (Michael Beach, and Cynda Williams) hightail it out of Los Angeles with a trunk-ful of dope, but drive into a world of trouble. This unjustly forgotten thriller will keep you on your toes.