Cinema Português?

Cinema Português? is a documentary on the first 100 years of Portuguese film and the lack of a Portuguese film industry. The questionmark in the title is there for a reason.

The documentary is just under one hour long and features intercut scenes from various movies and parts of an interview director Manuel Mozos (pictured below) conducted with one João Bénard da Costa, not only an actor but a professor, historian and author.

I saw the film during the annual local film festival Viennale and after the screening there was a Q&A session with Mr. Mozos and film director Miguel Gomes, whose latest work Tabu also screened at the festival.

The stories they told of life as someone working in film in Portugal were sad ones. After 100 years, less than 500 Portuguese film had been made. There is simply no money.

In fact, not a single film is being produced in Portugal this year. Not a one.

6/10