Film Countries Archives: Portugal

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Adventures/Aventuras: Family Friendly Animated Shorts

  Various

  Germany, Mexico, Portugal, United States     30 minutes

Synopsis

Audiences of all ages can enjoy these three stories of adventure, all highlights from our Family Friendly Animation program, presented at the Harrison Park Field House in Pilsen.

A girl connects with her Mayan heritage on a camping trip with her father that turns into an exciting adventure in Balam (Mexico, U.S.). After a tiger escapes from the zoo, a bored subway worker gets the surprise of a lifetime in Town Hall Square (Germany). A curious girl gets sucked into the bizarre and magical world of the book she is reading in Ana Morphose (Portugal).

 English 

Screenings & Events

Sponsors

In Partnership With

logo: People's Center for Cultural & Contemporary Arts

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Shorts 9: Family Friendly Animation – Better Together

  Various

  Canada, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United States     75 minutes

Synopsis

All ages are welcome in this family-friendly program, full of colorful films that celebrate play, encourage curiosity, and emphasize the importance of communal bonds. Featuring works by Shira Avni, Lena von Döhren, Eva Rust, Guillermo Casarin, Seungbae Jeon, Christian Kaufmann, João Rodrigues, Afnan Bawyan, Adriel Meka, and Mitra Shahidi.

Two One Two (Canada) offers a poetic and deeply personal glimpse into motherhood in the form of a gorgeous, glimmering two-headed monster. A gassy fish allies with other sea creatures to fend off a hungry seagull in the hilarious and melodious underwater tale POND (Switzerland). A girl connects with her Mayan heritage on a camping trip with her father that turns into an exciting adventure in Balam (Mexico, U.S.). Peek into the inner lives of batteries with the oddball charmer Battery Mommy (South Korea). After a tiger escapes from the zoo, a bored subway worker gets the surprise of a lifetime in Town Hall Square (Germany). A curious girl gets sucked into the bizarre and magical world of the book she is reading in Ana Morphose (Portugal). A woman attempts to overcome language barriers by preparing a cultural dish that takes on a life of its own in Saleeg (Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, Sweden). A friendly boy makes an unexpected connection when he attends a mysterious summer camp in Camp Kona (U.S.). In Starling (U.S.), a couple is visited by their child in her new spiritual form for a beautiful meditation on grief and eternal love.

 Arabic, English, Korean, Mayan, Spanish, Tigrinya, Urdu with subtitles 

Screenings & Events

Virtual Screening

This program will be available to stream from October 16 at 12:00pm CT to October 22 at 11:59pm CDT.

Sponsors

Film Supporters

Logo: Canada 313x100

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The shadows of two girls playing handgames against the concrete with a few leaves and pebbles scattered around.

Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games [short film]

  Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson

  United States     18 minutes

Synopsis

Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games takes a historical look at the profound influence of black girls on popular culture and the musical aesthetics within the black community. Uncovering a legacy that spans centuries, the film meticulously explores African culture, and how hand games and other artistic forms of communication were employed to defy oppressive cultural constraints. The cultural significance of hand games has become an integral part of modern American culture, yet often, the contributions of black girls in shaping society are frequently disregarded and remain uncredited. Black Girls Play gives viewers an opportunity to discover and appreciate their contributions.

This film screens as part of the Shorts 7: Black Perspectives – Resonance program and Generations: Black Perspectives Shorts Community Cinema program.

  

 English 

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A close up of a woman over a black and red backdrop.

The Daughters of Fire [short film] As filhas do fogo

  Pedro Costa

  Portugal     9 minutes

Synopsis

A triptych of sisters sing about their suffering after the eruption of a volcano in Cape Verde. Separated from each other and surrounded by darkness and fire, their voices overlap as we hear their moving words of pain and resistance: “There will come a time when we’ll know why we suffer, and the mystery will end.” The musical ends with silence and archival footage of Cape Verdean people and landscapes after a volcanic eruption in 1951.

Directed by Pedro Costa, The Daughters of Fire represents a radical step forward in form and ambition for the singular Portuguese maestro.

This short film screens along with in water.

  

 Portuguese with subtitles 

Film Credits

  •   Marta Mateus
  •   Vitor Carvalho
  •   Leonardo Simões
  •   Elizabeth Pinard, Alice Costa, Karyna Gomes
  •   Marcos Magalhães
  •   Clarão Companhia

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A dark haired woman leans over the shoulder of another woman, her shoulder strap sliding down, as they look out a window.

Living Bad Viver Mal

  João Canijo

  Portugal, France     125 minutes

Synopsis

A decaying hotel on the Portuguese coast welcomes its weekend guests: a man struggling to balance his time between his wife and mother, a woman embarking on an affair with her son-in-law, and a mother attempting to control her daughter’s every decision. During their respective stays, the vacationers observe the hotel’s scarred, resentful staff as their own familial dramas play out for all to see.

 Portuguese with subtitles 

A woman emraces a girl, kissing the side of her head, and holds a small black dog in her other arm.A masterwork of overlapping perspectives, Living Bad is the reverse shot of Bad Living (also included in this year’s program). Taken together, the two form a rich narrative labyrinth as the events of the story are observed from different angles and interpreted through the lens of different characters. The result is a cinematic experience of unprecedented depth.

Learn more about Bad Living

Content Considerations
Self harm
Learn about Festival content considerations...

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Pedro Borges
  •   João Canijo
  •   João Braz
  •   Leonor Teles
  •   Nuno Lopes, Filipa Areosa, Leonor Silveira, Rafael Morais, Lia Carvalho, Beatriz Batarda, Leonor Vasconcelos, Carolina Amaral
  •   Pedro Borges
  •   Midas Filmes
  •   https://malviver-vivermal.pt/