The coming month of September holds the beginning of the
Jewish New Year and, within it, a special gift of Portuguese cinema. The Film
Week of Portugal, in the Israeli cultural scene since 2004, continues to fulfil
its main role: to expose the Israeli public to a wide variety of contemporary
films produced and directed in Portugal. This year, on our 9th edition,
we have the pleasure to include this event in the commemorations of the 40th anniversary
of Tel Aviv Cinematheque and the 30th anniversary of the Jerusalem Film
Festival.
Dedicated to “The Lisbon School”, PORTUGAL Film Week #9 focus on some of the most dynamic independent film production
companies in Portugal and on some of their most representative
feature films, directed by emergent filmmakers, all of them graduates of the
Lisbon School of Theatre and Cinema.
In the spirit of this year’s event, six young filmmakers
with what seems to be an enviable will for cinema joined each other in “What’s
New About Love” (2011), a collective work considered by most national critics
“a breath of fresh air into Portuguese cinema”. The film segments six
stories of love and loneliness which flow in an unleaded look over the
challenges teenagers are forced to face and the ways they try to deal with
their reality.
The programme also includes films signed by already
established directors, with participations in major film festivals, such as
“And Times Goes By” (2011), by Alberto Seixas Santos, “Blood of My Blood”
(2011), by João Canijo, “This Side of Resurrection”, by Joaquim Sapinho
(2011), and “4 Hearts” (2009), by Manuel Pozos.
In representation of this generation of filmmakers, director
Vicente Alves do Ó, will present his latest film, Florbela (2012), at the
opening sessions of PORTUGAL Film Week #9 in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem.
The film –a box office success in Portugal– is based on the life of
Florbela Espanca (1894–1930), one of Portugal's most important poets of
the 20th century. Dalila Carmo, the film’s leading actress, will also be a
guest at the opening sessions in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem.
All the films in the programme of PORTUGAL Film Week
#9 are original versions in Portuguese with English subtitles. “Florbela”,
(courtesy of Ukbar Filmes), “What’s New About Love”, “4 Hearts” (and “Blood of
My Blood?) (courtesy of Rosa Filmes), will be shown at the Cinematheques of Tel
Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa with Hebrew subtitles.
PORTUGAL Film Week #9 is sponsored by the Portuguese
Cultural Institute (Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua) and the
Portuguese Film Institute (Instituto do Cinema e Audiovisual. The Embassy
of Portugal is grateful to Ukbar Filmes, Rosa Filmes and Take 2000 Productions
the Cinematheques of Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa and BRUSSELS Airlines.
