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> From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 08:08:33 -0500 > Subject: [Goanet] Goans must stop coming to Portugal: Vicente Alves Do O > > Goans must stop coming to Portugal: Vicente Alves Do OPortuguese filmmaker > Vicente Alves Do O is in Goa for the screening of his film Florbela at the > 43rd International film festival of India (Iffi), but he has also brought > with him an unexpected guest - worry that his country could be moving towards > intellectual bankruptcy with 100% cut in finances to filmmakers in a nation > where cinema is fully state funded.The filmmaker said that Goans should stop > coming to Portugal as they have no future in the country. "Please don't come > to Portugal. Goans should not come there. People are moving out of Portugal > and Europe because it is dying. Europe will be finished in 10 years," > Vincente said.The director said that Europe is being rigid in its thinking > and this reflects in the films it churns out. "European filmmakers are > depressed. They all make the same kind of films. Europe is still thinking of > itself as this power who had once ruled the world. We are not that anymore. > Portugal is a poor country. We need to reboot ourselves like a computer now > to survive in these competitive times or Europe will die. We need to > reinvent," Vicente said."It is a cultural tragedy that the Portuguese > government has cut funds 100% for films this year and not a single film has > been made in Portugal in 2012 because of the European crisis. As it is, we > make only 12 films a year, which is the number India makes in a day. Our > government is so rightwing they are cousins of (Mitt) Romney," Vicente > said.He said that there are already restrictions on subjects of films as they > are government funded. "There are people who have robbed banks and are > infamous but you never see films being made on them. You will never see > Portuguese films about politics. This is because there are restrictions on > filmmaking in a sublime way as you get your funds from the government and the > law does not permit private funding for films," the outspoken filmmaker > said.He said that the elderly in Portugal have already given up. "We only see > teenagers in the cinema halls in Lisbon. The older generation has given up. > And the teenagers only want to watch American films and not Portuguese ones," > Vicente said, whose film Florbela speaks of the unconventional life of an > influential 20th century female poet. The filmmaker believes the way Florbela > lived her life breaking away from convention has a lesson in store for > Europeans today."We don't trust our class of politicians and we don't see a > way out into the future at present. But artists have that responsibility to > show that way forward. You cannot make films who no one understands and > absolve yourself of that responsibility," Vicente said. [TOI] >
