The Blue Eyes of Yonta is a 1992 film by Flora Gomes from Guinea-Bissau. It revolves around Yonta, a young girl who is in love with Vicente, a family friend and an independence war hero. Another man Ze secretly admires Yonta and anonymously sends her a love letter with a poem copied from a Scandinavian book. This letter is how the movie gets its name.
The film gives us an idea of how the African filmmakers of the time had limited resources and budget and resorted to a safe and simple style of shooting. The plot is straightforward, and most of the scenes have been shot on the spot from a single angle.
Aside from the main plot of the film, it beautifully portrays the thoughts, lives and struggles of the people during the period by giving significant screen time to small talks and daily conversations. For example, in the scene when Ze tells his uncle he got a job, his uncle says how he used to load crates for Portuguese and was overjoyed with independence thinking his life would change. But even after 20 years, his 'achhe din' didn't come. In another scene, a person talks of his 'European dream', but is told how "all Africans do in France is sweep the streets". The daily problems with power cuts are shown in various scenes throughout the film. In this sense, the movie is a nice window to understand the lifestyle in the African countries post-independence.
The film felt a little comical in a few scenes like the eviction of Santa from her house and the dance scenes in the club. The children, especially Yonta's brother, make the film more cheerful through scenes like the unwrapping of the received gifts and the closing sequence of the film, where they dance away beside the swimming pool.
Vicente is also an interesting character. He is critical of the people around him who seem to have forgotten the war. In the very beginning of the film, he criticises the timber driver for not understanding a commemoration. Towards the end, he becomes angry with Yonta, saying she has "replaced ideals with clothes, cars and discos" and forgotten how the country was born.
Overall I found the film much more engaging than I expected, primarily due to curiosity to learn about the lifestyle of the African people and also the (mostly) cheerful setting of the film.
