Comboio de Sal e Açúcar

Saw this film at the African Film Festival here in Bayreuth.

The film focuses on a group of passengers and soldiers taking a train journey through war torn Mozambique in the 80's. Among the passengers are many women who are buying salt and sugar from areas where they are cheap and selling them where they are rare commodities - this is where the title comes from.

Interspersed with short guerrilla style tactics the film builds tension throughout as well as between the soldiers and passengers and this is where much of the drama actually occurs. One never knows when the next act of violence will occur and who it will come from. Other scenes include a gruesome impaled head as a warning sign, a woman giving birth during a fire fight, and the corpse of an enemy commander being strapped to the front of the train while village children through stones at it.

This is certainly a film worth watching minus some pacing issues. A worthy contender for the Academy Award!