Ana Sofia Fonseca | Portugal, 2022, 94'
An intimate documentary about Cesária Évora, with archival footage, some unpublished and others rare, and unique testimonies. The film follows the struggles and successes of the Barefoot Diva, from the privacy of her home to the dressing rooms of the world. Her voice took her from Cape Verde to international stardom, but her only dream was to own a home. Freedom was the ground she walked on.
Ana Sofia Fonseca is a storyteller. CESÁRIA ÉVORA is her second documentary. Born in Portugal, she lives with one foot in her country of origin and the other in Cape Verde – more precisely, in São Vicente, the island of Cesária. She devoted herself to her passion for cinema, after an award-winning 20-year career in journalism, in which she wrote for the main media outlets and signed reports and documentaries on the SIC television station. Her work has been distinguished with several journalism awards, including the Gazeta Award, the AMI Journalism Against Indifference Award, the Human Rights and Integration award, awarded by UNESCO, and the Corações Com Coroa award. She has published five books of reportage and investigation – Barca Velha, Histórias de um Vinho, Angola Terra Prometida, Capitãs de Abril, Cada Garrafa Conta Uma História, Raízes – and also the novel Como Carne Em Pedra Quente. Her first feature documentary September A Vida Inteira was shown in Portuguese cinemas for five weeks. She also made the documentary Os Dias Contados.
