The Blue Eyes of Yonta

The Blue Eyes of Yonta tells a tragicomic love story in a colourful, poignant and loving way. Young Yonta is growing up in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau in West Africa, a country that won independence less than 20 years ago. All day long, she thinks of no one else but Vicente, a friend of her parents and a former freedom fighter. Vicente, however, has no interest in Yonta whatsoever. And she, in turn, pays no attention whatsoever to Zé, a young man who worships her.
Besides a story of love and desire, The Blue Eyes of Yonta also offers us an intimate look at society in Guinea-Bissau in the early 1990s. Vicente fought for independence but, like so many others, is disappointed and disillusioned by the lack of realisation of the promised social reforms for which so many fought so hard. In his first feature Mortu Negra, Gomes looked back at the struggle – The Blue Eyes of Yonta continues his analysis of post-colonial Guinea-Bissau.