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Ku Handza: Three Lives in Mozambique, Coming to NewCinema/Docs+
Portuguese filmmaker André Guiomar explores everyday life, work and family responsibilities in Mozambique in Ku Handza, a 75-minute documentary coming to Whush as part of the NewCinema/Docs+ showcase.
Produced in Portugal in 2025, the film follows three people navigating different circumstances: a father saving money for his son's birthday, a man returning to his family between war missions, and a mother who must resume working shortly after giving birth.
Through these interconnected portraits, Ku Handza examines the everyday demands of survival and the personal responsibilities that continue despite difficult circumstances.
Three Lives, Different Struggles
At the centre of Ku Handza are Benjamin, Filimone and Eulália, whose experiences offer different perspectives on life in Mozambique.
Benjamin is trying to save enough money to organise a birthday party for his son. His story centres on an ordinary family celebration that requires considerable effort and planning.
Filimone visits his family between war missions, balancing his responsibilities away from home with the time he can spend with those closest to him.
Eulália has recently given birth to her sixth child but must return to work at a landfill site, highlighting the pressures of earning a living while caring for a growing family.
Although their circumstances differ, all three stories concern people trying to meet immediate needs while maintaining their relationships and responsibilities.
The Meaning Behind the Title
Ku Handza is an expression in the Tsonga language describing a chicken searching for food.
The title provides a way of understanding the film's focus on the daily effort required to secure a livelihood.
For Benjamin, that effort involves saving for something meaningful to his family. For Filimone, it means negotiating the demands of his work and his life at home. For Eulália, it involves returning to physically demanding employment while caring for a newborn.
Rather than building its documentary around a single event, Ku Handza brings these experiences together through the recurring necessity of providing for oneself and others.
André Guiomar's Documentary Work
André Guiomar is a Portuguese filmmaker and founding partner of Olhar de Ulisses.
His previous work includes Skin of Light (2018), which received a jury prize at Doclisboa, and the feature documentary Our Land, Our Altar (2020), which screened at Sheffield Doc/Fest and ZINEBI.
In 2022, Guiomar participated in Berlinale Talents and co-directed Saturn with Luís Costa, which screened at the Guadalajara International Film Festival.
His short fiction film Thorn, co-directed with Mya Kaplan, premiered at the Directors' Fortnight in 2023.
With Ku Handza, Guiomar returns to feature-length documentary filmmaking, focusing on the experiences of three individuals whose lives are shaped by work, family and the demands of their circumstances.
An International Festival Journey
Ku Handza has already been presented at a number of international film festivals.
Its 2025 selections included Doclisboa, Porto/Post/Doc, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI Goa) and the Capri Hollywood International Film Festival.
The documentary's 2026 festival record includes Festival L'Europe autour de l'Europe, the International Black & Diversity Film Festival, the ICJ International Film Award, the Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival and the Festival Internacional de Cine Africano en Argentina (FICAA).
It was also named a finalist at the Golden FEMI Film Festival 2026.
These selections have brought the documentary to audiences across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Coming to NewCinema/Docs+
Ku Handza will now stream worldwide on Whush as part of NewCinema/Docs+, with a planned availability period of 12 months.
The film brings together three personal stories to examine the practical realities of life in Mozambique, from the effort involved in providing for a family to the challenges of balancing work and personal relationships.
Through Benjamin, Filimone and Eulália, Guiomar focuses on experiences that are individual in their circumstances but connected by the ongoing need to find ways forward.
Ku Handza (Portugal, 2025), directed by André Guiomar, runs 75 minutes in Changana (Tsonga) and Portuguese, with English subtitles, and will stream worldwide on Whush as part of the NewCinema/Docs+ showcase.
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