Healings

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Note of intent

First imagined during a get-together of friends at filmmaker Jean-Marie Teno’s house, for me Healings embodies the beauty that lies in the interplay of (hi)stories, from Black Brazil to Francophone Africa. During this encounter, I realized that an act of reparation of the past was possible, that, through a cinematic process, I could confront the unspoken, attempt to heal my family past, and posthumously restore my mother’s dignity by retrieving her legal right to descendancy.

Synopsis

Healings is a feature-length documentary about a reconstruction process involving both the identity and the trauma of an Afro-descendant family in contemporary Brazil. Returning to her neighbourhood of origin on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte, visual artist Fabiana Ex-Souza takes us on her quest to repair her mother, Maria de Fatima’s memory. In an attempt to rectify her death certificate on which Ex-Souza is not inscribed as her mother’s legitimate daughter, the artist will embark on a procedure to restore her disavowed filiation rights. In order to do so, her father will have to revisit his errors of the past, recognize Ex-Souza, and accompany her in this process. Between apprehension and hope, a path to healing wounds begins to emerge.

Visual concept

Healings is a co-authored intimate thriller set to the backdrop of the complexities of Brazilian society. Visual artist Fabiana Ex-Souza will film the sites of her childhood, her family, and will reconstitute the life of her mother, who died suddenly aged 46. Moreover, Cameroonian filmmaker Jean-Marie Teno will accompany her in her interactions with her family and the authorities to restore both the truth on her mother’s official documents and her dignity.