Isabell Heimerdinger

Soon It Will Be Dark, 2020

In Soon It Will Be Dark we experience nature itself as the actual, plot-driving character. The film was shot on the island of São Tomé in the Gulf of Guinea, west of Central Africa. The landing there of the Portuguese captain João de Santarém in 1471 marked the beginning of an eventful half millennium of colonial history, whose traces can still be read today in many aspects of urban life, culture and society. In the film, there are few elements to situate the place. “We didn’t want to start with a name and create a direct context. In retrospect, I see the process of filming and editing more like composing a poem, establishing an atmosphere and a frame of mind rather than picturing a reality. At the same time, it was important not to mystify anything. Cast and crew as well as the island are listed in the end credits.” (I.H.)