How is the mystery of bizarre crimes, such as the disappearance of people with albinism, unravelled? How are the guilty identified and what kind of punishment is given to them? These are questions that the new series on the Maningue Magic channel, Kuga Munu, tries to answer. This original Mozambican production, which premiered recently, explores these disturbing realities, interweaving true cases with fictional investigations and an academic approach to the study of African beliefs and practices.
João Ribeiro, director of the Maningue Magic channel, expressed enthusiasm for this new project, saying: "This offering is part of our mission and dedication to providing ever more creative content that addresses our culture, our values and local aspirations". Indeed, Kuga Munu is more than a simple television series: it is a marvellous and engaging journey to African roots that invites us to reflect on some of our practices and beliefs.
Produced by Afrocinemakers and directed by JJ Nota, Kuga Munu tells the story of Luphela Suthu, a young university lecturer in Bantu Anthropology who finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of events after becoming the main suspect in the case of the disappearances of people with albinism. Faced with the police's inability to solve supernatural cases, Suthu decides to set up a consultancy firm specialising in situations involving the occult. Throughout the series, Suthu is accompanied by a diverse and multifaceted team made up of Kayana Figueiredo, a final-year medical student obsessed with traditional medicine, Luna Samurai, a police officer sceptical about witchcraft, a lawyer who is also his childhood friend, and a healer banned by the Association of Traditional Doctors for using methods considered illegal. Together, they confront cases that defy the understanding of the police and of conventional medicine, often finding themselves in life-or-death situations.
Shot in Maputo, Kuga Munu is a drama and mystery series that reveals to us unexpected monsters of everyday life – a neighbour, friends, relatives and even curses cast by people close to us or through the breaking of promises made to ancestors. The series confronts us with an essential dilemma: to fear the past or to embrace our ancestors. It is a bold and unique venture in Mozambican television that promises to capture the attention of all viewers. The series is broadcast every Sunday at 8.30pm on Maningue Magic. A journey through the fantastical and the real that you will not want to miss.
