Gigliola Zacara's film "Echoes", submitted to the second edition of the RENUAC Festival last year, was honored in four categories, namely Best Documentary Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Visual Effects.

Director Gigliola Zacara and the film left their mark on the last edition by being part of the celebration of cinema and by sharing their art and creativity with the world to the extent that they won recognition for their talent and effort at the second edition of the RENUAC Festival, says a press release.

"Ecos", by Gigliola Zacara, is a comprehensive social project that aims to combat gender-based violence and promote the rights of women and girls in Mozambique through awareness-raising, education and direct intervention.

Ecos brings to light the courageous testimonies of women who have been victims of gender-based violence and are being held in Maputo City's Preventive Correctional Facility, known as Cadeia Civil.

The film was shot in Mozambique and shown in several public and private screenings, from August 2023 to December 2024. The first screening was on August 9, 2023, at the Maputo City Preventive Correctional Facility (Cadeia Civil), followed by a screening at the Maputo Special Women's Correctional Facility (Ndhavela) on August 10.

The public premiere took place at the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Center on August 15. This was followed by other screenings, which reached a total of around 40 sessions, accompanied by debates in various venues throughout the city and province of Maputo, and with members of various social groups, including during the 16 days of activism against GBV, in 2023, in the face-to-face format, and in 2024, in the online format.

The documentary film had its biggest audience in November and December 2023, among the 508 works available on the Netkanema streaming platform, and was awarded the category of "Most watched film of the year 2023" in 2024. (Source: O País)