Son of
illiterate parents, as a child Gomes struggled against the limitations of his social status and the oppression of the
Portuguese colonial system under
António Salazar's rule. He supported Bissau-Guinean resistance against colonialism and greatly admired
Amílcar Cabral. He left Guinea-Bissau to study cinema in
Cuba (1972) at the Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematography, under the guidance of
Santiago Álvarez. He continued his studies in
Senegal, at the Senegalese Journal for Motion Picture News, under the direction of
Paulin Soumanou Vieyra. He also co-directed two films with Sergio Pina and worked as an assistant with
Chris Marker and Anita Fernandez. Upon returning to liberated
Guinea-Bissau, Gomes filmed his country's independence ceremony (24 September 1974), fulfilling the desire of Amílcar Cabral that it should be Bissau-Guineans themselves capturing this historical moment on film. After freeing itself from colonial rule, Guinea-Bissau was visited by many reporters and progressive filmmakers and Gomes, given his knowledge of cinema, was in great demand to assist them, which allowed him to expand his skills. At the end of the 1970s, he worked as a photographer and cameraman for the Ministry of Information. Having first directed historical documentaries, Gomes filmed his first feature film,
Mortu Nega, in 1987.
Mortu Nega depicts the struggle for independence and the challenges of the first post-independence years in Guinea-Bissau. The film was screened at several international film festivals and Gomes caught the attention of commentators and critics. He was particularly well received in
France, which in later years enabled him to attract funding for the production of new films. In 2000, he was distinguished in France with the title of
Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. ==Filmography==