André Guiomar’s feature project, pitched as a work-in-progress at Nebulae, the Industry program of Doclisboa, tells the extraordinary story of Mozambican Alex who, at the age of 4, escaped civil war in his country after his adoption by Chinese foster parents. Years later, as a Kung Fu master who trained at the Shaolin Temple, he returns to fight corruption, training the Special Forces.
“But suddenly, a new and unexplained war breaks out in the north of the country, and [Alex] is tasked with the responsibility of training groups of civilians and police officers for the front lines — in record time,” director Guiomar explains in his film notes.
“Following a 90-day training course with a group of 15 men, deprived of alcohol, mobile phones, and contact with women, the film portrays the daily limits faced by these fighters. It navigates themes of camaraderie, weakness, leadership, and mental strength, seeking to understand each man’s true motivation for choosing the military path — and the responsibility that comes with it,” he adds.
Portuguese producer Rodrigo Areias (Bando à Parte) is close to finalising the film’s budget, ahead of a mooted March 2026 delivery. Right now, The Strength of a Bull is at edit stage.
“The idea itself of a young Mozambican boy to be adopted by a Chinese family during a civil war that returns 30 years later, to train the police of a corrupt country is a great premise,” Areias tells Business Doc Europe. “He is somebody who, despite being from Mozambique, grew up in a totally different culture, [but] once he visited the home land that he doesn’t know much about, he realizes that he can contribute [to] the evolution of a country that has several structural problems. So it’s the Kung Fu mentality prevailing over the local culture, and martial arts and values transforming an unprepared police force into a high performance one.”
“This film appeals internationally for its uniqueness – and the financing was not difficult, since it’s majority Portuguese,” Areias adds. In Lisbon he is looking to secure a strong opening for the film, as well as pique sales and distribution interest. “Since the film is still being edited, we have not decided where will we premier the film. We will start by [securing] a reference international Film Festival, and then the path will continue, trying to open local distribution doors.”
The producer is impressed by director Guiomar. “André is a director that has done several interesting films in the past. His main strength, aside from being a good director, is that he lived several years in Mozambique, and has directed several films in that territory. He met the main character of this film in Mozambique and was fascinated by his story. When he first told me about this idea, we were all very happy to be able to be part of this project,” Areias underlines. “This film is a very cinematic experience. It’s very well shot and its narrative is a character driven story.”
Furthermore, Areias is happy that his film is being shown at advance stage at Doclisboa. “Our main idea is to make awareness within the documentary world that the film exists, that the production has been finished and that in the near future we will have a film this is ready.”
Elsewhere at the festival, Areias is in Portuguese Competition with Nova ’78, which he co-directed with US filmmaker Aaron Brookner. The synopsis describes “an electrifying journey into the heart of 1970s counterculture, built around never-before-seen footage from the Nova Convention. This three-day event in New York City celebrated William S. Burroughs’ return to America. It brought together Patti Smith, Frank Zappa, Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Allen Ginsberg, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, and many more.”
