Providence and the Guitar
A providência e a guitarra
Life has never been easy for travelling artists, and Leon and Elvira know it too well. Caught between moody police officers, rival performers, and small and cheeky demons, with a little help from new friends found on their way, Leon and Elvira must find the strength to keep believing in their art.
Neither bureaucratic turmoil nor harsh financial setbacks can stop the boundless love between the charming Léon and enchanting Elvira, two struggling 19th-century itinerant performers. As they travel across Portugal, delighting peasants with their acting and singing, we discover that the husband and wife are seemingly connected by time and space across centuries. In the present, Léon is a rock band frontman, and Elvira is a political activist and his devoted fan. Yet Lisbon-born filmmaker João Nicolau firmly roots his playful Portuguese fairytale in an inviting imagination of the past, brought to life by magnificent costume design and the couple’s stories and music.
Providence and the Guitar, the fourth feature of Nicolau, revels in moments of humour through its honest ode to the small joys of everyday life. The remarkable cast – including star singer Salvador Sobral – delivers a gorgeous tale about the importance of art in everyday life, freely inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Providence and the Guitar. Across the course of one action-packed day and night in a small village, Léon and Elvira draw others into their orbit and encourage them to truly follow their creative passions, as they have. This tale of colour and whimsy warmly invites us to wear our hearts, souls and songs on our sleeve.
– Olivia Popp
Featured in these combined programmes
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Opening Night 2026: Providence and the Guitar
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Specials
The 55th edition of IFFR begins with João Nicolau’s romantic and witty fable Providence and the Guitar, the festival’s opening film. -
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Opening Night 2026: Providence and the Guitar + Party
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Specials
Audiences are warmly invited to join the Opening Night Party in ‘de Doelen’, following the opening film. -
Trailer
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Film details
- Country of production
- Portugal
- Year
- 2026
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2026
- Length
- 125'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
Shows of "Providence and the Guitar"
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de Doelen Jurriaanse ZaalIn-personEnglish subtitled
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Pathé 3In-personEnglish subtitled
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TR Schouwburg Grote ZaalIn-personEnglish subtitled
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TR Schouwburg Grote ZaalIn-personEnglish subtitled
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Pathé 6In-personEnglish subtitled
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LantarenVenster 1In-personwith Q&AEnglish subtitled
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KINO 1In-personEnglish subtitled