Award winning actor: Welket Bungué revolutionises African film making

Welket Bungué is an actor and director from Guinea Bissau who has been awarded at the Stockholm International Film Festival with the “Bronze Horse” for Best Lead Actor. His recent project ‘Cacheu Cuntum,’ will be premiered at the Bissau Film Meeting 

The project is a documentary which the actor captured on his smartphone. He states “I not only want this film to make a statement. I also want to deconstruct and, at the same time, report, denounce,” some figures who were part of that period and who can be associated with the town Cacheu’s history.

“This film seeks to rub together the memory of the past of slavery in contrast to what can be the Guinea Bissau of tomorrow, taking into account the images we see, how the people interact with each other, how this light means vitality and, at the same time, how I myself newly returned to the city, perceive things.”

Born in Guinea-Bissau and raised in Portugal, Bungué returned to his native country to rediscover his roots and redefine his cultural identity.

“I believe that when we see the youth portrayed in images, when we see the children, me with my family, the dynamic of the city of Bissau, we can be woken up to reflect, to become more sensitive about what that period was, but above all, what we can be.”

Bungué states the project ” is a diamond in the rough in several ways, more specifically in terms of cinematic potential, i.e. the production of knowledge, stories and audiovisual collection. Guinea-Bissau still has much to develop.”

Bungué is certain that the only way to highlight the local hardworking talent and the contemporary models of Guinea-Bissauan culture and society, is to recognise their potential by celebrating them within the country.