This film was shot and released in Portuguese as Resgate, but has since been dubbed in English and released as Redemption, mainly to attract a wider audience once Netflix acquired it.
It is also the first film from Mozambique to feature on the streaming platform, which in itself is quite an accomplishment.
As with almost all other sectors in the country, Mozambique’s film industry has been decimated by over a decade of internal conflict. This film’s accomplishments from a modest budget serves as an example of just how valuable the African storytelling industry could be if allowed to thrive in developing nations.
Overall, this is a well produced movie with lots of action and I highly recommend watching it.
Bruno (Gil Alexander), an ex-convict, fresh from a 4 year stint in jail, has come home to his girlfriend Mia (Arlete Bombe) and child.
His pledge to turn his life around, live ‘straight’ and focus on his family is tested when he discovered that the family house his late mother willed to him is laden with a huge debt and is about to be repossessed. Feeling pressured to pay off the loan to save his family home, he is forced to return to a life of crime – one last, but will it be the last time?
Written and directed by Mickey Fonseca of Mahla Filmes, the production is raw and gritty. The sex scenes are passionate and it doesn’t hold back on the violence either. According to the director “..it is a crime genre film about current affairs, about life in Mozambique today”.
This gives us a little bit of an insight into the street life in Mozambique away from the politics and deprivation.
The camera movement and shots by DOP Pipas Forjaz are just brilliant. I particularly liked the way he uses establishing shots in the opening scene as well as closeups with the use of insert shots to tell the story. Everything about this film just works so well in enhancing the storytelling.
Overall, this is a well produced movie with lots of action and I highly recommend watching it.
