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Even more than answering questions, documentaries should trigger questions, doubts and foster the shifting of points of view. They should lead us to reflecting upon new realities, and generate new ways of seeing apparently familiar realities. Creating a documentary is an endless jigsaw puzzle that does not follow any existing recipe.
It may begin with a wish, a dream, an idea, or even a need or a journey of survival. Directing a documentary encompasses every single challenge of an artistic action, but it also complies with the very specific language and context of documentary films. This can either create boundaries or be liberating. A director must make endless decisions - even prior to the shooting itself - and sometimes they also linger on after the end of the film in order to allow the film to grow and become autonomous from its creator. Just like in previous editions of Doclisboa, this year we will once again have the opportunity to talk to various directors in different stages of their profession. We shall start with their films and work processes, and travel through their different approaches, ethical and aesthetic choices, and motivations. Each session will be as unique as the vision of each given director. Participants are welcome to prepare the questions they would like to ask in each session. This workshop is for students, professionals and other people willing to know more about filmmaking.
Catarina Mourão

Last year, the Chinese director was also in Lisbon competing with Three Sisters. The documentary won the City of Lisbon award for best feature-length film of the International competition.
The International Competition will also have Joaquim Pinto's E agora? Lembra-me (What now? Remind me), which won the Special Jury Prize in the 66th edition of Locarno Film Festival.
Other highlights from Venice were At Berkeley, by Frederick Wiseman. The film will be presented in a special screening at the 11th Doclisboa - International Film Festival.

The current Portuguese Government took a clear stand regarding culture and arts from day one: extinguishing the Ministry of Culture and appointing a Secretary of State reporting directly to the Prime Minister. And since then - and not innocently - culture and arts have been treated according to an economic vision subservient before markets and goals.
Ever since the beginning of the 1970's that films in Portugal are not financed by the State itself, but by advertising taxes that have been decreasing and leading to the creation and debate of a new law. In 2012, before the standstill of this law - that would regulate the reinforcement and development of such financing mechanisms, also encompassing private television operators - the Government therefore decided not to grant any support whatsoever to films through Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual. We called it Year Zero, we've asked ourselves how could we keep on going. Some did it and others simply did not make it. In 2013, when this law was finally discussed, approved and confirmed, when public tenders were opened and commitments were made, a new data arises: the players in question would not pay their contributions. A direct challenge to the law, and to the concepts of balance and justice stated by the Constitution. Before this fact the Prime Minister does not say a word.
How can a righteous Government depend upon the compliance or not of the private sector to implement a political culture? How can it endanger a past and future heritage, and a fundamental industry for democracy (article 78 of the Constitution of the Republic - Chapter
III (Cultural Rights and Duties) "cultural fruition and creation) that enables mechanisms of citizenship and participation in the public life?
How can a legally elected Government address this issue as a mere particular industry issue and not a nationwide issue that is related to its own legitimacy as major decision makers and holders of management tools?
Portuguese cinema is endangered. Not just production itself, but also as far as preservation and releasing are concerned. It is worth mentioning that neither Cinemateca Portuguesa nor Arquivo de Imagens em Movimento are protected against this raid, endangering cinematographic patrimony.
Regardless of all this films are still being made. And we are sure they will always be made one way or the other. And films often allow themselves the power to speak - or sometimes whisper - about what matters.

Our sincere thanks to João Viana for allowing us to divulge these two films here.

Apordoc - Associação Pelo Documentário
Doclisboa - Festival Internacional de Cinema

"The King's Body" and "Allegoria della Prudenza" by João Pedro Rodrigues and "Redemption", by Miguel Gomes - these last two films premiered at the 70th Venice Film Festival - will be exhibited as a reflection on Portugal's current political and economical situation and simultaneously a homage to the recently deceased director Paulo This session will be held on October 27th, 9.30 p.m., at Culturgest, in Lisbon.Rocha and to the 50th anniversary of Portuguese Cinema Novo (New Wave).