Interview: Denise Fernandes – Hanami (Red Sea Intl. Film Festival)

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Threading the line between magical realism and potent coming-of-age drama, Denise Fernandes‘ Hanami is an ambitious debut feature. Filming on location in Cape Verde, the picture is unsurprisingly visually impressive as it weaves the story of Nana and her mother Nia across a number of years, from childhood to adolescence. Having premiered the film premiered Locarno’s Concorso Cineasti del presente, we spoke to Fernandes at the Red Sea Film Festival about the her inspirations behind Hanami, her journey through production, and her goals for her next films.

Kevin Jagernauth
Kevin Jagernauth
Kevin Jagernauth is a Montreal-based film critic and writer. Kevin has written professionally about music and film for over 15 years, most prominently as Managing Editor of The Playlist, where he continues to contribute reviews, and he has recently joined The Film Verdict as a Contributing Critic. Kevin has attended and covered a wide range of festivals including Cannes, TIFF, Fantasia, Savannah, and more. On a consultative basis, Kevin provides script coverage for feature-length independent and international films. He is also the co-founder and co-programmer of Kopfkino, a monthly screening series of cult classics and contemporary favorites that ran from 2017-2020 in Montreal.

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