A colloquium to reflect on the role of film and artistic story-telling in Portugal's former African colonies.

Dulce Araújo - Vatican City.

The initiative that began over the weekend under the title, "Former Portuguese Colonies: media and Decolonization", highlighted the role of cinema, television and photography in telling the story of the wars of independence and the years that followed.

Film reviews, art and an international colloquium

The work of filmmakers such as Sana Na N'Hada and Flora Gomes, Jordá Joaquìn, Gabriele Ragonesi and others have been highlighted and earmarked for deliberation and reflection.

The initiative, which will end on Thursday this week, is divided into a film review of the artistic works from 10 December to 12 December and an international colloquium from 12 December to 14 December.

At the head of the organisation of events are the Audiovisual Archive Foundation of the Democratic Workers' Movement (AMOD) and the Gramsci Foundation, in collaboration with the National Cinematheque, La Sapienza University in Rome, Roma Tre University, the House of Cinema and Rai Teche, among others.

Almicar Cabral and Marcelino dos Santos

The meetings and screenings are taking place in various locations, including the universities above, the Casa del Cinema and the AMOD headquarters.

Scholars from Italian universities and countries like Portugal, Canada, and Germany have been invited to the Colloquium. Some of the panel discussions planned include revisiting the international conference of solidarity with the peoples of the Portuguese colonies (Rome, 1970) and the 2nd World Congress of Black Writers and Artists, held in Rome in 1959 by the Présence Africaine magazine group. Other panels will discuss Italian anti-colonial cinema, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Angola and Mozambique's colonial cinemas.

In addition to the films, many of which will be screened in the Casa del Cinema – Rome, with free admission, the talks will also feature excerpts from films and interviews with one of Africa's foremost anti-colonial leaders, Amílcar Cabral. Marcelino dos Santos, a Mozambican poet, revolutionary, and politician, is also featured.