Njinga: Queen of Angola

The film is set in 17th-century Angola and presents the true story of Queen Njinga Mbandi. While her father is king, she trains in military strategy. Her father, brother and nephew each take turns leading their people, but all meet a mysterious death. Njinga then becomes queen, leading wars against the Portuguese and resisting the Dutch invasion. ==Cast==

• Lesliana Pereira as Queen Njinga Mbandi • Erica Chissapa as Kifunji • Ana Santos • Sílvio Nascimento as Jaga Kasa Cangola • Miguel Hurst as Njali • Jaime Joaquim as Mbandi • Orlando Sérgio as Jaga Casacassage • Alvaro Miguel as Kilwanji • Ana Almeida as Kambo • Yuri de Sousa as Capitao Jaga ==Production==

It took six years for the producers to raise money to make the film. Screenwriter Isilda Hurst spent two and a half years researching the Queen and the historical context of her story. The studio consulted historians while researching for the film. Filming took place in Kissama National Park in Angola over nine weeks. The filmmakers chose to use Portuguese as the primary language of the film because they felt it would allow the greatest number of Angolans to understand the film, even though that is historically inaccurate. ==Release==

The film was screened at the 2014 Montreal World Film Festival. It screened again during the African Diaspora International Film Festival in Washington, DC. ==Reception==

In African Studies Review, Fernando Arenas wrote that despite the characters lacking emotional depth, the film "stands out in the context of African cinema for its ambition in portraying one of the monumental chapters of the continent's history". Carolin Overhoff Ferreira wrote a critical study which analyses the misconceptions on Africa and the slave trade reproduced in the film. ==Television adaptation==

The film was adapted into a television show of the same name, which aired from 2014 to 2015. == References ==