The Useless

Alice decides to move to Berlin, and Ema, her roommate, organizes her a farewell dinner, “The Useless”.

Sea

Francisca, a beautiful 50-year-old widow (played by Maria de Medeiros), prepared a peaceful future for herself. In an unexpected outburst, she grabs an opportunity for change and embarks on a sailboat called ‘Hovering Over the Water’.

The Hissing of Summer Sands

“The Hissing of Summer Sands” tell us about ‘The whistle man’, a sea-side character from the fascist years.

Memory and Dictionary

“Memory and Dictionary” is a documentary on those who still remember the whaling industry in the Azores.

Phantom Power

A boom operator is in charge to capture a missing sound across Lisbon, in “Phantom Power”  

Sadness and Joy in the Life of Giraffes

The economic crisis, a teddy bear with suicidal tendencies named Judy Garland, the Discovery Channel, a black panther and the Russian playwright Anton Tchekhov are all part of the heroic adventure of a little girl who has a problem to solve.

In Case of Fire

Chico is haunted by a hate crime committed in the village against a classmate he was involved with in “In Case of Fire”.

Invisible Hero

A 50 years old blind man is looking for a missing immigrant from Cape Verde, in “Invisível Herói”.

Bring Me The Head of Carmen M.

Ana, a Portuguese actress, has come to Rio de Janeiro to play the lead in a mysterious film about Carmen Miranda, the eccentric Portuguese-Brazilian actress and singer who put Brazil on the map for its samba and carnival culture.

The Hood

A struggling actor visits Compton to research a role as a rapper: “The Hood”.

Sacavém

It is not the usual documentary about an artist, in this case the filmmaker Pedro Costa, nor a synthesis of the whole of his work. Among other merits Sacavém finds an angle to speak of a major figure of contemporary cinema without resorting to the usual methods or to mimic Costa’s cinema. Júlio Alves finds a fair distance to read the work without the weight of reverence, connecting characters and recurring objects, starting from Casa de Lava to the next film, showing the continuity between the vision of the director and the world that inspires him (a singular form of realism haunted by ghosts and memories). Pedro Costa’s elusive presence in the film, is an example of a solitary and artisanal work ethic of which the films are the most eloquent demonstration. (N.S.)

Past Perfect

In a series of free associations that cross several centuries of History we are asked, what is the place of sadness?

Grbavica

An unsettling night portrait of Grbavica, a neighborhood in Sarajevo.

Heatstroke

“Heatstroke” reflects on this generation’s sexual and existential disorientation.

Fordlândia Malaise

In 1928, Henry Ford founded a company town in the Amazon rainforest called Fordlândia.

Espectros da Terra

“Espectros da Terra” portraits a mysterious world inhabited by strange spirits.