Discoveries from Portugal World Cinema

“Prune me in January Tie me up in February Dig me up in March And you’ll see what I’ll do to you.”

Mingling identity photos taken by the Portuguese political police during the Salazar dictatorship and testimonies from the children of an assassinated communist activist, Luz Obscura invents a form that recreates as faithfully as possible the feeling of a family's broken identity.

A documentary about António Sérgio, a Portuguese radio personality who brought new sounds to various generations of music-listeners.

The phenomenon of Brazilian oral literature with a study on cordel literature and popular singing.

Making of the opera "Riders to the Sea".

This documentary traces the rise of Brazil's Landless Movement (MST) from its founding in 1984 to the 2002 election of Brazil's first working class president, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

In August 1903, the King of Portugal, D.Carlos I, proceeds to, by Royal Charter, the auction sale of the Fort St. Joseph - located in a small islet near the city of Funchal. In October 2000, the old fort is acquired by professor Renato Barros, without him even knowing that the Royal Charter documented not only the sale of the property but also the domain over the islet. Overnight, the professor becomes the Prince.

A journey through the fears and ghosts of Portuguese popular culture

A man, a woman and a car.

João lives on a shabby suburban estate. He is always in trouble with the grown-ups, who don't seem to understand that his flamboyant behavior stems from his insecurity and desperation.

Cantando Histórias is a Latin Grammy winning album by Ivan Lins. It is the first and only Brazilian and Portuguese language album to win the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year to date.

Victória, Mariana, and Vasco are three young Mozambicans with physical disabilities who live in the suburbs of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. Victória passes on the self-esteem she gained from her education to other women with disabilities by organizing a fashion show; Mariana uses her energy to make friends and overcome urban architectural barriers; and Vasco does business in the informal sector, repairing shoes. Revealing their physical, psychological, and emotional challenges, the film explores how they see themselves and how others see them, and the consequences of these perceptions on their lives. It raises universal questions about self-acceptance and finding one's place in society.

In greater Lisbon area, the name Cova da Moura has never been synonymous with well-being, education or prosperity. on the contrary, it has always been associated with the idea of violence, insecurity, danger or, at best, with lack of education and sheer poverty. Cova da Moura Island follows this neighbourhood's daily life, finding the cape verdean reflections in it and searching for the ways in which social exclusion is fought or perpetuated in the lives of its residents.

Corredor is a tribute to the event of the same name, dedicated to underground culture and techno music. Now discontinued, the film aims to travel through the echoes that can still be heard.

Portugal had been recovering after the reforms following the end of “The Great Cyber War” years prior. Trust was now returning to the economy. The successful prosecution of the recently captured hacker and rebel ringleader Dr. Vilar, would be a show of force for the government, clearly establishing that the days of corruption were now behind them, as they re-integrated back into the eurozone. Dr. Vilar, once responsible for the cyber attack that devastated Lisbon’s power grid, had spent the majority of his exile in London, England, from which he ran his criminal enterprise, until one day he was mysteriously betrayed…

Homesickness drives Neema Ngelime to the district of Matonge in Brussels, which is home to a large African community. The busy shopping streets evoke memories of her life in Tanzania. She wants to record the similarities with her native land for her grandmother, but that is easier said than done. As in Tanzania, most people on the street prefer not to be filmed. Yet, Ngelime gradually gets closer to the shopkeepers and customers of Chaussée de Wavre, and shares her observations with the viewer.

Two people share a conversation in a park bench.

A ruined stockbroker collaborates with a friend of his late father's on the completion of a documentary.

Shot with an iPhone, Layla meets Lancelot is a record of the director’s daily journey to and from work. Does happiness lie in accepting repetition or in interrupting it? Everything long awaited always takes place unexpectedly.

People start to suspect something is wrong on a hotel.

This documentary follows the life of six characters from São Paulo, Brazil: trans women and men, drag queens and kings, workers and college students who discuss their perspectives on gender, sexuality and identity in contemporary society.

Márcia Haydée is a Brazilian dancer of worldwide consecration, known as the "Callas of dance", for her great interpretive power. In her career, she performed at the Ballet of the Marquis de Cuevas (FRA), but it was at the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany under the direction of John Cranko, who in the early 1960s she became the choreographer's muse and was revealed as a great performer and dancer. In the 1970s, after Cranko's death, Márcia took over the management of the company and stayed ahead for 20 years. She worked alongside big names such as Richard Cragun, Rudolf Nureyev, Jorge Donn, Maurice Bejárt, John Neumeier.

“Madrigal for a Living Poet” is a chant to life, an aesthetic tribute to the writer Tico. Filmic reverie about the reflections that the character brings, is a film about memory, which brings to light not only the agonizing paths of remembering, but also its political, resistance force, which insists on reinventing everyday life and searching for lost meanings.

My Kind of Family shows the family life of homosexual couples with their children, exposing the battles they face to become the family who already are in real life. The documentary brings to light problems experienced by them, ordinary people, victims of prejudice and discrimination. My Kind of Family demystifies the concepts of normality mistakenly applied to classify families of Brazil.

In Porto Santo, a small island next to Madeira the drought rages and Gonçalves, a local farmer, tries to overcome the catastrophe, with the help of Bastiana, whom he dearly loves. João Venâncio, who refuses to share the water of his field, tries to steal her heart. One day Gonçalves decides to fight for his beloved, beating violently Venâncio in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

A man afflicted by an inferiority complex, is helped out by his comrades to pass the tests to enter the navy. A girl accepts to show a fake love interest in him as part of the plan, and ends up really enamoured.

Momento marks a second encounter between Manoel de Oliveira and the singer-songwriter Pedro Abrunhosa, whose song of the same name inspired Oliveira’s short film/music video.

One of the most beautiful tales in human history adapted to musical theatre, based on the work of Hans Christian Andersen, which contains a profound message about the fundamental values of human beings: acceptance, solidarity, spirituality and the absolute power of Love in a memorable show for the whole family, on a fascinating journey to the bottom of the sea!

Mário and Ana act against their own best interests by taking some time to mend their weakened relationship.

In 1982, 10-year-old Vasco lives with his mom in a small town. He's obsessed with Space:1999, devours books and films, defies mom with petty rebellions. He never met his dad but watches him from afar, and learns that growing up ain't easy.

"Beast" portrays an encounter between the choreographer Victor Hugo Pontes and Braga Municipal Stadium, by the architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. Order and disorder. Men and beasts in flocks. Wild conquest among mute roars. Concrete and stone. Light and shadow. Color. Immensity and vertigo. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Chrysalis. The hatching of beasts.

In a fantastical sequence of events, a young man confronts not only his personal fears, but also the adversities of life. A story of learning and finding a path of inspiration.

Documentary about the artist collective 'Grupo Puzzle'

Set against a vibrant tapestry of music and movement, Tem Fé poetically explores female energy, resilience, and ancestral roots. Through striking visuals and soundscapes, the film celebrates the strength of women and their spiritual bond across generations.

Gentrification, fame, pop culture, no culture, the new Lisbon and digital dystopia, what do all these things have in common? Charles and Nicole.

A wise grandmother, a 9-month pregnant warrior mother, and a little girl live in a dry world. Water is scarce, but they are resilient and have found a way of surviving. The moonrise is approaching, which seems to influence their relations and dreams…

Porto's famous Batalha cinema is Portugal's oldest projection room. Founded in 1906, it is also one of the oldest in the world. The Batalha has survived censorship, several revolutions and technological change, but succumbed to a lack of audience at the very beginning of the 21st century. Two decades later, it has risen from the ashes and reopened its doors at the end of 2021 to meet the new challenges of the 21st century. A look back at the history of this legendary venue, through archive footage and personal accounts.