First look: teaser-trailer for “My Semba,” Hugo Salvaterra’s debut feature, produced by Luanda-based collective Geração 80.
The film follows siblings Maria, Lelé, and X as they struggle to keep their family together in a contemporary African metropolis under economic strain. When the man who raised them falls gravely ill, they are forced to make choices that test their bonds and futures.
Semba—the Angolan music and dance form—functions as both soundtrack and theme, tying the siblings’ lives to Luanda’s cultural heritage.
“My Semba” is developed and produced entirely out of Angola by Geração 80, one of the country’s leading independent production houses.
It won a Special Mention at the Red Sea Souk (2023) and was presented this year in Final Cut at Venice (Aug 27–Sep 6, 2025), the festival’s works-in-progress program designed to provide African, Middle Eastern, and Latin American projects with post-production support.
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