Aldeia dos Rapazes – Orfanato Sta. Isabel de Albarraque
Bárbara Virgínia's only short film is about an orphanage. She adopted a perspective exceptional for her era by filming at the children’s eye level.
15'
Portugal
IFFR 2018
Bárbara Virgínia was the first Portuguese woman to direct a feature film. Her surrealist/expressionist debut, Três dias sem Deus, was promptly selected for the first edition of the Cannes Film Festival in 1946. She was also the youngest female director at the time. However, she never received the recognition she deserved female pioneers simply didn’t make the history books. Owing to a fire, just under 26 minutes (without sound) of her debut has survived.
Filmmaker Luísa Sequeira goes in search of this flamboyant, progressive character. In her only short documentary, Aldeia dos Rapazes (1946), Virgínia has orphans look directly into the camera – an unusual stylistic device for those days. Virgínia was a breath of fresh air in conservative, patriarchal Portugal. Unfortunately, she never got the chance to make more films. Having moved to São Paolo, her fame faded. This documentary, with a wonderful melancholy score, finally takes her seriously.
- Director
- Luísa Sequeira
- Premiere
- International premiere
- Countries of production
- Portugal, Brazil
- Production Year
- 2017
- Festival Edition
- IFFR 2018
- Length
- 77'
- Medium
- DCP
- Original title
- Quem é Bárbara Virgínia?
- Language
- Portuguese
- Producers
- Pedro Medeiros / Um Segundo Filmes, Monica Botelho / Mutuca filmes
- Production Companies
- Um Segundo Filmes, Mutuca filmes
- Sales
- Um Segundo Filmes
- Cinematography
- Eduardo Sama, Luísa Sequeira
- Editor
- Luísa Sequeira
- Sound Design
- Mauricio d'Orey
- Website
- http://umsegundofilmes.com/project/quem-e-barbara-virginia/
Programme
Regained
Drawing upon cinematic memories: restored classics, films about film, experimental works, installations and retrospectives.
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In true Zwartjes style, the filmmaker creates an intoxicating, surreal microcosm – this time through a bizarre pantomime featuring extras in heavy makeup.
12'
Netherlands
IFFR 2018
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Hypnotic, repetitive film featuring Trix, Zwartjes' regular partner in crime – and in life. The second 'turtle dove' is a piece of a toy between her fingers.
5'
Netherlands
IFFR 2018