23° TORINO FILM FESTIVAL

Ria Formosa

Ria Formosa

Country: Portugal
Year: 2005
Duration: 53'


Meandering among the Milreu Roman ruins, amid the remains of magnificent mosaics, a mother teaches her son the ways of life and braces for a journey drawing on the advice of Seneca, the stoic: "reading breeds intelligence…". The eye of the camera follows mother and son, alone or together, on a journey of a stretch of land, estuary and the sea, over a unique vibrant and striking lagune system where light has centre stage.

"A documentary is an exercise in patience. A documentary about light is an exercise in infinite patience. The miracle of light only happens to those who are ready and well-disposed." (J. Botelho)

Biography

film director

João Botelho

João Botelho (Lamego, Portogallo, 1949) enrolled at the Film School at Lisbon's National Conservatory in 1974, and in 1976 founded the film magazine "M." He worked as a graphic artist for a number of publishers and as a film critic for several newspapers and magazines. In 1981 his short film Conversa acabada was presented in Cannes Film Festival and made him one of the leading figures of Portuguese cinema. He received international critical acclaim for his following films, Tempos difíceis (1988), Aqui na terra (1993), Tráfico (1998), Que és tu? (2001). His last film O Fatalista (2005) has been presented in competition at the last Mostra di Venezia.

FILMOGRAFIA

O alto do cobre (1976), Alexandre e Rosa (cm, 1978), Conversa acabada (1980), Um adeus português (1985), Tempos difíceis (1988), No dia dos meus anos - O ar (1992), Aqui na terra (1993), Três palmeiras (1994), Tráfico (1998), Se a memória existe (cm, 1999), Quem és tu? (2001), As mãos e as pedras (2002), Viagem ao coração do Douro, a terra onde nasci (doc., 2002), A mulher que screditava ser presidente dos Estados Unidos da America (2002), O Fatalista (2005), A luz na Ria Formosa (doc., 2005).

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