Air Conditioner

On the hazy, humid streets of Angola’s capital Luanda, air conditioning units are falling
from the sky. In the rupture of this surreal plot detail, director Fradique’s first narrative
feature details the lives of characters wandering amid vibrant ruins, their memories and
cityscape marked by the wounds of civil war.

Traversing streets and corridors, Matacedo embarks on a quest to recover the all-
important AC unit of his boss. As if caught in the meandering logic of a dream, the city
of Luanda is a character and a playground. What memories are held in these
buildings? Are the characters encountered distractions, detours, or guides into
intriguing new stories?

Drawing deeply from music video aesthetics, the abundance of slow-motion shots are
reminiscent of the intimate visual language of Wong Kar-Wai. The soundtrack from
rising Angolan star Aline Frazão, at turns breezy, languid, or raucous, elevates the heat
as it accompanies the fluid, hypnotic character-driven passage through a place of flux.
The film was written, produced and shot entirely in Angola by collective Geração 80.

Director:

Fradique

Country:

Angola

Rating:

R18

Producer(s):

Jorge Cohen

Running time:

1h 12m