Portuguese director's films entertain audience
For most moviegoers, films made by Portuguese director Joao Cesar Monteiro require extra patience to watch.
Plots are intricate; characters seem to transcend the normal parameters of time, and sometimes speak in Socratic language. That was the case for “Veredas” (Paths), which was the opening piece for the Portuguese film festival that kicked off last week. The festival was organized by the Portuguese Embassy and Cinema Theque Seoul.
Without the amusing landscapes of Portugal shown in the film, some audiences would perhaps have been unable to sit through the two-hour screening.
The director was more experimental with “Branca de Neve” (Snow White). Released in 2000, the film offers a black screen for most of it accompanied by sound. “He made this film with help from the government, and it created a huge controversy,” recalled a Portuguese diplomat.
A look into the director’s life and understanding the era he lived in, however, provides viewers with insight into his complex mind.
Born in 1939, his family was very much immersed in anti-clerical and anti-fascist ideals. It was a time when Portugal was under a right-wing dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, who came to power in 1933. During his youth and young adulthood he witnessed revolutionary activity against dictatorship and social unrest.
For Moneiro, film-making became a means of expressing opposition to people in power and he embodied unconventional methods of film making, which gained him international recognition.
In 1982, “Silvestre” was invited to the Venice Film Festival. So did “A Comedia de Deus,” “As Bodas de Deus,” “Branca de Neve” and “Vai~E~Vem” to the Venice and Cannes Film Festival.
His films were invited to the Jeonju International Film Festival last year. The festival features 14 of Monteiro’s films, and runs till the end of the month. For more information, visit
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