UTOPIA 9th UK Portuguese Film Festival

FILM AND MUSIC

30 Oct - 29 Nov 2018

London | Liverpool | Bristol

For its 9th edition, Utopia Festival is tuning into the complicity between film and music. We will be focusing on this often-neglected cinematic layer, showcasing several Portuguese composers and sound architects, and culminating with an inspiring junction of Portuguese silent film and British live music. 2018’s crown jewel is the screening of Portuguese silent gem Lisbon, Anecdotal Chronicle, a film by legendary director Leitão de Barros, which will be accompanied live on the piano by British composer Neil Brand. The festival will kick off with a celebration of the 20th anniversary of José Saramago’s Nobel award, with the screening of António Ferreira’s adaptation of Embargo, followed by a Q&A with leading actor Filipe Castro. We are thrilled to announce that this will be on a second screening for schools, a great opportunity for London teenagers to sample foreign independent film. Once again, the festival will extend beyond London, with two screenings in Liverpool and one in Bristol, respectively with the renowned The Nothing Factory, by Pedro Pinho, Where I Grow Old, by Marília Rocha and Saudade’s Labyrinth, by Miguel Gonçalves. Where I Grow Old, a co-production between Portugal and Brazil, will be followed by a Q&A with leading actress Francisca Manuel, and will also be presented a second time at the Brazilian Embassy.

The festival is supported by the Portuguese Embassy in the UK and Instituto Camões in Portugal.

For the full programme, please, go to: http://www.utopiafestival.org.uk/ For press enquiries Fernanda Franco | 07939941831 | Fernanda.franco@filmville.org FACEBOOK FilmvilleUKPortugueseFilmFestival TWITTER @Portuguesefilm

INSTRAGRAM utopiafilmfest

SCREENINGS

EMBARGO + Q&A with leading actor Filipe Costa. Kings College London | Nash Lecture Theatre. Wed 30 Oct 6.15pm | Free, registration needed. Portugal/Brazil/Spain | 2010 | 83 min | dir. António Ferreira | cert. 12A* | music by Luís Pedro Madeira | in Portuguese with English subtitles | UK Premiere Based on the homonymous short story by Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, the author of Blimunda and Blindness, Embargo, director António Ferreira’s peculiarly crafted Portuguese dark comedy, tells the story of Nuno, an ordinary man who, while working day-to-day in a sandwich stand, has managed to invent a machine which promises to revolutionise the shoe industry. At a time of nationwide petrol embargoes, Nuno finds himself in a sinister situation, mysteriously trapped inside his own car. In collaboration with the Camões Centre for Portuguese Language and the conference Saramago and Beyond - From the Land of Sin to the Fields of Blood, with special thanks to Instituto Camões and Persona Non Grata Films.

The Factory of Nothing + Introduction (A Fábrica do Nada). University of Liverpool | REN-SR6 Rendall Bulding Thu 1 Nov 6.30pm | Free. Portugal | 2017 | 177 min | dir. Pedro Pinho | cert. 12A | original soundtrack by José Smith Vargas and Pedro Rodrigues | in Portuguese with English subtitles. It is on a particular weeknight that a group of factory workers realises their administration has organised the confiscation of all plant machinery. They soon recognise this as the first sign of a massive layoff. Most refuse to cooperate with the negotiators and start to move in to occupy the premises. With management’s unexpected desertion, they’re suddenly left with a half-empty factory. The Nothing Factory serendipitously morphs from vérite-like drama into neorealist musical, paying homage to the kind of occupation and self-managed collectivist project prevalent during the revolutionary period of 1970s Portugal. Yet, and although it introspects the recent past, the film still resonates strongly with Europe’s present sociopolitical climate. Special thanks to the Portuguese Embassy in the UK and Instituto Camões. Programmed in partnership with Ana Reimão, University of Liverpool.

Lisbon, Anecdotal Chronicle + Live musical accompaniment by Neil Brand (Lisboa, Crónica Anedótica). CINÉ LUMIÈRE Sat 3 Nov 6pm | £12, Con £10. Portugal | 1930 | 125 min | dir. José Leitão de Barros | cert. 12A | silent film with live musical accompaniment by Neil Brand. | UK Premiere | in Portuguese with English intertitles. The highlight of the festival, this is the first feature film by one of the most influential and renowned Portuguese filmmakers from the first half of the 20th century, José Leitão de Barros. It is a homage to the Portuguese capital in the style of the popular ‘urban symphony’ of the time, a genre that often mixed documentary footage with fiction to surprising artistic effects, and whose the best-known examples are probably Walter Ruttman's Berlin: Symphony of a Great City, from 1927, and Dziga Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera, from 1929. Special thanks to the Portuguese Embassy in the UK, Cinemateca Portuguesa and Instituto Camões

Where I Grow Old + Q&A with leading actress Francisca Manuel (A Cidade Onde Envelheço). FACT Liverpool Sun 4 Nov 3:30pm | £12.20, Con £11.20. Brazil/Portugal | 2016 | 99 min | dir. Marília Rocha | cert. 12A* | sound design and mixing by Carlos Abreu and Tiago Matos | UK Premiere | in Portuguese with English intertitles. Francisca, a young Portuguese woman living in Brazil, welcomes Teresa, an old acquaintance she’d lost contact with, into her home. While Teresa is out discovering the place she might want to settle in, Francisca craves for her life back in Lisbon. The film tracks both women’s city adventures and follows the bonding that grows between the two, forcing them to deal with conflicting desires: the urge to leave for a country unknown and a relentless longing for home. Special thanks to the Portuguese Embassy in the UK and Instituto Camões. Programmed in partnership with Ana Reimão, University of Liverpool.

Embargo - Special screening for schools. CINÉ LUMIÈRE Tue 27 Nov 4pm | Free, registration needed. Brazil/Portugal/Spain | 2010 | 83 min | dir. António Ferreira | cert. 12A* | music by Luís Pedro Madeira | in Portuguese with English subtitles. Based on the homonymous short story by Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, the author of Blimunda and Blindness, Embargo, director António Ferreira’s peculiarly crafted Portuguese dark comedy, tells the story of Nuno, an ordinary man who, while working day-to-day in a sandwich stand, has managed to invent a machine which promises to revolutionise the shoe industry. At a time of nationwide petrol embargoes, Nuno finds himself in a sinister situation, mysteriously trapped inside his own car. With special thanks to Instituto Camões and Persona Non Grata Films

Where I Grow Old (A Cidade Onde Envelheço). Embassy of Brazil in the UK Wed 28 Nov 6:30pm | Free, registration needed. Brazil/Portugal | 2016 | 99 min | dir. Marília Rocha | cert. 12A* | sound Design and mixing by Carlos Abreu and Tiago Matos | UK Premiere | in Portuguese with English subtitles. Francisca, a young Portuguese woman living in Brazil, welcomes Teresa, an old acquaintance she’d lost contact with, into her home. While Teresa is out discovering the place she might want to settle in, Francisca craves for her life back in Lisbon. The film tracks both women’s city adventures and follows the bonding that grows between the two, forcing them to deal with conflicting desires: the urge to leave for a country unknown and a relentless longing for home. Special thanks to the Embassy of Brazil in the UK and Instituto Camões.

Saudade's Labyrinth + Introduction (O Labirinto da Saudade). University of Bristol Thu 29 Nov 5pm | Free. Portugal | 2018 | 75 min | dir. Miguel Gonçalves Mendes | cert. 12A* | music composed by Noiserv | in Portuguese with English subtitles. Miguel Gonçalves Mendes’ free adaptation to cinema of Mythic Psychoanalysis of the Portuguese Destiny (O Labirinto da Saudade) is one of the most lucid works in recent Portuguese cinema. A unique journey inside the brilliant mind of writer and philosopher Eduardo Lourenço, narrated by the 94-year-old himself, it gives voice to his memories and surveys key episodes in the history of Portugal. Along this filmic journey, Lourenço crosses paths with ghosts from the past and friends from the present, outstanding figures such as Álvaro Siza Vieira, José Carlos Vasconcelos, Diogo Dória, Gonçalo M. Tavares, Lídia Jorge or Gregório Duvivier, who assume the role of interlocutors, eliciting the reflections impressed in the book. Special thanks to LongShot House Productions. Programmed in partnership with José Lingna Nafafe, University of Bristol and Instituto Camões. *Locally Classified.

VENUES

King’s College London Strand Campus London WC2R 2LS +44 (0) 20 7836 5454

University of Liverpool Bedford Street South Liverpool L69 7WW +44 (0) 151 794 2000

Ciné Lumière 17 Queensberry Place London SW7 2DT +44 (0) 20 7871 3515

Embassy of Brazil in the UK 14 Cockspur Street London SW1 5BL +44 (0) 20 7747 4500

University of Bristol 17 Woodland Road Bristol BS8 1TE +44 (0) 117 928 7433

30 OCT TUESDAY 18.15 KING’S COLLEGE: Embargo + Q&A with leading actor Filipe Costa

1 NOV THURSDAY 18.30 UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL: The Factory of Nothing + Introduction

3 NOV SATURDAY 18.00 CINÉ LUMIÈRE: Lisbon, Anecdotal Chronicle + Live music

4 NOV SUNDAY 15.30 FACT LIVERPOOL: Where I Grow Old + Q&A with actor Francisca Manuel

27 NOV TUESDAY 16.00 UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL: Embargo + Introduction

28 NOV WEDNESDAY 18.30 EMBASSY OF BRAZIL: Where I Grow Old + Introduction

29 NOV THURSDAY 17.00 UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL: Saudade’s Labyrinth + Introduction

KINGS COLLEGE LONDON UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL CINÉ LUMIÈRE FACT LIVERPOOL EMBASSY OF BRAZIL IN THE UK UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

Supported by the Portuguese Embassy in the UK

Notes to Editor:

Filmville was founded in 2007 with the aim of curating and promoting Portuguese spoken cinema in the UK. Since 2010, Filmville has programmed Utopia the annual UK Portuguese Film Festival, working with institutions such as the Barbican Arts Centre, the ICA, the Whitechapel Gallery, the Institut français, the Tricycle Theatre and The Picture House. Filmville is run by Érica Faleiro Rodrigues with the support of Fernanda Franco and external help from freelancers and key institutions.

Neil Brand

English dramatist, composer and author. Beyond his role as regular silent film accompanist at London's National Film Theatre, Brand has also composed new scores for two recently restored 1920s films, Wrecker and Anthony Asquith's Underground. Brand has also acted in and written plays commissioned by the BBC. His book Dramatic Notes focuses on the art of composing narrative music for the cinema, theatre, radio and television. Brand was granted the 2016’s BASCA Gold Badge Award for his contribution to music.

Filipe Costa

Born in Coimbra in 1980, Costa started his career as a broadcaster and audio producer. In 1999 he joined the college theatre group "Teatro dos Estudantes da Universidade de Coimbra" (TEUC) performing Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. His professional debut was in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, directed by Luís Miguel Cintra, a joint-venture between Teatro da Cornucópia and Teatro Municipal São Luíz. He’s also worked as a musical director, sound designer and original soundtrack composer. In 2010 he joined Teatro Meridional to perform 1974, directed by Miguel Seabra. The leading role in António Ferreira’s Embargo marks his debut on the big screen. He is also one of the founding members of the bands "Bunnyranch" and "Sean Riley & The Slowriders".

Francisca Manuel

Francisca Manuel lives and works in Lisbon. She studied Architecture, Cinema and Visual Arts as well as Multimedia. After receiving a bursary in 2011, she moved to Brazil where she had her first roll as an actress in ‘A Cidade Onde Envelheço’ and for which she won the best actress prize in the 49th Festival de Brasília do Cinema Brasileiro. Since 2007, she’s been developing her artistic practice, directing several video installations as well as the award-winning ‘Lassie’s Courage’ (2009).