Film Countries Archives: Portugal

< Back to main Festival page

Two women relax by a body of water in reclined chairs, shaded by a tree.

Foremost by Night Sobre todo de noche

  Víctor Iriarte

  Spain, Portugal, France     109 minutes

Synopsis

When Vera was young, she gave her infant son up for adoption. Years later, she begins a seemingly futile search to find him. When Cora was young, she adopted a young boy, Egoz, after she was told she could not have children of her own. Now the two women’s lives, each a mirror of the other, unite as Egoz is about to turn 18 and their paths finally cross.

A road trip crossing northern Spain, a caper heist, and the discovery of a new family merge into a striking and stylized contemporary noir. Foremost by Night is a masterfully choreographed and ever-surprising examination of the nature of motherhood, and the threads that connect those who search for each other across time and space.

 Spanish with subtitles 

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Isaki Lacuesta, Isa Campo, Tamara García, Katixa De Silva, Valérie Delpierre, Víctor Iriarte
  •   Isa Campo, Andrea Queralt, Víctor Iriarte
  •   Ana Pfaff
  •   Pablo Paloma
  •   Lola Dueñas, Ana Torrent, Manuel Egozkue
  •   Maite Arroitajauregi
  •   La Termita, Atekaleun, CSC Films, Inicia Films
  •   http://www.alphaviolet.com/sobre-todo-de-noche-foremost-by-night/

Sponsors

New Directors Program Sponsors

Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation

< Back to main Festival page

A woman emraces a girl, kissing the side of her head, and holds a small black dog in her other arm.

Bad Living Mal Viver

  João Canijo

  Portugal, France     127 minutes

Synopsis

Five women across three generations are struggling to keep their decaying family hotel afloat. When Piedade’s daughter Salomé arrives on the scene, old resentments begin to bubble to the surface. The film’s wounded characters collide with one another in frank confrontation as layers of generational trauma are laid bare. The deteriorating architecture of the hotel looms over the action, reflecting the characters’ inner turmoil and embodying the fraying ties of a family on the verge of being torn apart.

 Portuguese with subtitles 

A dark haired woman leans over the shoulder of another woman, her shoulder strap sliding down, as they look out a window.A masterwork of overlapping perspectives, Bad Living is the reverse shot of Living Bad (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 Living Bad

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

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Pedro Borges
  •   João Canijo
  •   João Braz
  •   Leonor Teles
  •   Anabela Moreira, Rita Blanco, Madalena Almeida, Cleia Almeida, Vera Barreto
  •   Pedro Borges
  •   Midas Filmes
  •   https://malviver-vivermal.pt/