Mabata Bata (2017)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The plot is based on a short story by Mia Couto 'O Dia Em Que Explodiu Mabata Bata' (The Day Mabata Bata Exploded). Azarias (Emílio Bila), a young orphaned shepherd has to tend the oxen flock of his uncle Raul (Horácio Guiamba), although he dreams of going to school. The most beautiful animal, Mabata Bata, is destined to pay the dowry of Raul's fiancée. However, the ox leaves the herd and steps on a mine left behind by fighters in the civil war. Afraid of his uncle's wrath, Azarias flees into the forest with the remaining animals and magical events occur. His grandmother and uncle set out to rescue him and convince him to return.
- Actors:
- Mário Mabjaia, Horácio Guiamba, Esperança Naiene, Filomena Remigio, Wilton Boene, Medianeira Massingue, Emílio Bila, Shcozo Ichiyama
- Directors:
- Sol de Carvalho
- Producers:
- Rodrigo Areias, Sol de Carvalho, Ricardo Freitas, Milton Manhenje, Marieta Manjate
- Writers:
- Mia Couto, José Magro, Sol de Carvalho
- Aka:
- O Dia em que Explodiu Mabata Bata
- Genres:
- Drama
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Reviews (1) of Mabata Bata
Ox Tales - Mabata Bata review by griggs
A simple tale about a boy and an ox ends up carrying a surprising load. Azarias dreams of school while tending cattle earmarked for his uncle’s dowry, and in that modest set-up the film weaves in education, marriage customs, tribal folklore, and the brutal legacy of civil war. It’s a lot to pasture in one story, yet it mostly works. The music is the secret weapon, giving warmth and rhythm when the narrative ambles. What might have been a scatter of themes instead hangs together as a parable both intimate and allegorical. Not every idea lands cleanly, and some of the weightier subjects feel skimmed rather than dug into, but there’s still charm in how it frames Mozambican history through the eyes of a child, his grandmother, and one very unlucky ox.