Doclisboa '23

Pioneering new Brazilian political doc The Chamber/A Câmara (a world premiere in Doclisboa’s From The Earth To The Moon section) takes viewers deep into Brazil’s Chamber Of Deputies late during the highly controversial presidency of Jair Bolsonaro. The film follows the politicians in classic fly on the wall style - and all its subjects are female. The directors talk to Business Doc Europe.

Doclisboa has announced the first confirmed titles for its next edition, running 19-29 October. Five films in the Heart Beat section and five in the From the Earth to the Moon section “draw up a unique, rhythmic, varied landscape; from dance to literature, to music and the pleasures of the palate – and from the stage to the deep green jungle,” write festival organisers.

Producer and programmer Paula Astorga was unveiled October 29 as the new director of Doclisboa International Film Festival. Astorga directed Mexico’s National Cinematheque from 2010 to 2014, where she was in charge of its ‘complete renovation.’ Former director Miguel Ribeiro, who has worked at Lisboa for 11 years in various capacities, leaves to coordinate and program the cultural space Casa do Comum.

The project development lab will take place between October 19 and 25 during Nebulae, the industry programme of Doclisboa (Lisbon, 19-29 October). This year, 354 projects from 20 Ibero-American countries and Italy applied and 15 were selected (12 film projects and three research and criticism projects). Ten countries are represented and the projects are all at different stages of production.

In International Comp, the City of Lisbon Award went to la tierra los altares by Sofía Peypoch (Mexico). The RTP International Comp Jury Award was awarded to the Belgian production Terril, by Jorn Plucieniczak. In Portuguese Comp, the HBO Max Award for Best Film went to As Melusinas à Margem do Rio by Melanie Pereira, while the Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores Award was handed to Memories of a Perfect Day by Davina-Maria El Khoury.

The upcoming Doclisboa will screen 250 films from 42 countries, including 35 world premieres and 39 Portuguese films. This year's International Competition includes selections from 16 countries and features 6 world premieres. Of the 39 Portuguese films in this year's edition, nine are in Portuguese Competition, 7 of which are world premieres. “The films reveal the pulse of the world and those who inhabit it,” the festival writes of this year’s programme.

In his new film, Nôs Dança (a world premiere earlier this week in Doclisboa’s Heartbeat section) Rui Lopes da Silva accompanies his friend, dancer and choreographer António Tavares, on an epic journey across the Cape Verde islands. “The idea of the film began at a New Year’s party at the house of a friend. During that night, we danced all the styles of dance of Cape Verde,” the director tells BDE.

Fest director Miguel Ribeiro talks to Business Doc Europe about the upcoming edition of Doclisboa which presents 250 films from 42 countries, including 35 world premieres and 39 Portuguese films. “We see documentary as a way to employ the tools of cinema to take us on a quest of discovery. And for this, you need to have freedom for production, and freedom to think, to question and to reflect.” The festival opens October 19 with Wang Bing's Man in Black and closes with Leonor Teles’ Baan.

UK doccer Marc Isaacs talks to Business Doc Europe about his multi-layered new film set in the sleepy British town of Thaxted. It’s a film that involves ghosts and Morris dancing and a Chinese filmmaker visiting the town to find to the subject of her next film. “I was already thinking about Englishness, mythology and the way that the country over the last few years has desperately been trying to solidify some sense of itself,” Isaacs reflects.