New Year's Present

Even though some of you already stumbled upon what I am about to show, it is still relevant to me to put them here, as proof of what remained hidden for so many years in the closet. What I am referring to is nothing but a roll of film. 

It all happened in a rather windy, cold day, a few days before my departure back to London (around the 5th of January). There I was, trying to see what I had and needed to pack and those that could stay for maybe another time when it crossed my mind to go and look for some ink cartridges to bring along with me. The closet was packed with memories and objects from mine, my brothers, even my parents early days. Curious, I took boxes and papers and objects that, despite put aside, still help refreshing some memories of early times. From those, I saw a cassette recorder and an unseen camera, which I immediately took out and carried to my room. Dust was decorating those gadgets and my mind was curious to see which wonders could they have inside. I opened the camera's box, gazed upon it and turn it around, wishing for a film inside it. A film!!

How many pictures could it hold inside? How old could they be? Who might be in them, where such a few wonders passing at the speed of light through my head. Carefully enough to avoid ruining the whole gathering of memoirs, I rolled the film back and took it from the camera, keeping them safe and sound, ready to gain life again, at my hands in a near future! :)

But this was the point where I was to remain, for now. London was still a few days away and I didn't want to spend money processing film in Porto, where I could do it, with my very hands and for free at Uni. This said, I put them in my bag and turned over to the cassete recorder. There was a tape inside, but no sound was coming out of it, apart from a metallic palhete trying to roll the tape over, unsuccessfully.

Anyhow, these were fine discoveries that I came to find out later to have even more meaning than what they seemed. The cassete holds (my dad's words) the first sound that I ever made. He bought the recorder to protect from the marvels of time the ever first sound I made. The tape, seems to be still fine, but that was something I forgot to bring and try to fix (maybe it is not time yet to listen to those sounds).

The negative, though, revealed a few surprises! For starters, it had only two photographs taken out of a roll of 36 frames. The two frames that still remained intact, though, had a lot to be told about! What, I cannot say for these recollections are even unusual to me. Anyhow, where's what I got from the hidden negative

And for now, we stay here.

Day at the hospital

Long was this day, for everyone. And not light, at all. My brother had a surgery on the past Wednesday and like every surgery, either simple or indeed complicated, people get a little anxious and we all hope for our beloved to leave the operation room. His, in particular, last 15 minutes, wish is nothing but still, either my mum and dad felt a little tense about all this.

Anyhow, he came out and there waited, for hours and hours to come, in the room, waiting for doctors and nurses to come to check is status, make sure everything was checked and no issue was to come post-surgery. From little walks around the room, pain in abdomen area and boredom, we all stood and did the best to make things run a little quicker. Oh, I forgot... he got in the hospital at 8 o'clock, only to leave with the all of us at 7.00 p.m.. No reason to say that spending a whole day in the hospital is something we care to avoid, if possible!

But still, we endured. From a movie screen, a few games and conversations in between, we there did all at our hand (perhaps not at everyone's eyes) to make the place the comfiest possible. Yet, this is an hospital, hence having a feeling of cold and uncertainty in it, no matter what might be the situation...

At the end of day, already night had covered the city with his big vast mantle, we left. And from this point on, a few weeks of no-runnin'-around await my brother. Everything to prevent his wound to open up again.

But for now, we wait for him to get, step by step, better!

Cheers!

The city of Knowledge

The other day I left home to pay a visit to my grandma. We went three days and although short, it was very well enjoyed time seeing and knowing everyone's whereabouts and health. Though older and troubles apart, we still often see many smiles and warmth from them. Isn't this better than money?

As a gift to you, I show you know the place of my birth. The city of Knowledge, Coimbra.

FEST - what else?

On the first week of July, in Espinho, Portugal, film lovers had the chance to spend an entire full-on week of film activities. From workshops, masterclasses, lectures to screenings and viewings, this festival stands as one of the most prominent young film festivals in Europe.

Luckily, I had the chance to work with them. Starting from September, I was contacted by them to work on the advertisement for FEST, which consisted on the making of 3 photographs, with 3 different concepts, being each one applied to a separate section of the festival, which were Workshop, Film Screening and Social Environment. Of those the result was the following:

Even though I made 3 photographs for the festival, the organisation ended up not using the last image, maybe for it might have been a bit to strong tor the ambience of the social life of the Festival, even though the art director was very pleased with the final outcome. Anyway, not putting any client's taste, I was very pleased to work for these images and I need to thank Areias, for the paciente to be photographed and all the time spent making this!

But enough about the advertising. The Festival, whose 2012th edition lasted 5 days, was a whole bunch of happy surprises! From the warm audience, made of very enthusiastic and incredibly talented people, not only from film (both student and professionals) but also from other fields outside it, such as biology, for instance; the blend in and tranquility of the festival that, even though it is an international gathering and it brings very big names such as Scandar Copti, an oscar nominated director, Matin Walsh or Tom Stern, to name but a few and yet, the almost home environment that we can feel, while there, due to the break of stigmas or to better describe it, a felling of a break of superiority - not respect! - where both the person invited and the audience are and speak at the same level, no prejudices included. And to see this in such a lively space, how can one not enjoy seeing and talking with such grand people, where the ingredients are of such quality?

Workshops during the day, screenings and 'forró', as we sometimes call it, at night. But this is not just an excuse to stay up late and drink. It is also where people might become the most relaxed and cosy. It is where there is more room for fun - outside the working space - and socialisation, or Super Bock should review the concept of their advertisement, because what they show us is not true! (just kidding). Still, what one feels during the day, is mirrored at night, with a lot of dancing, a lot of talk as well, tiredness on people's bodies, after long days with barely no sleep, but like the majority would say 'It's FEST, what else/'

I heard about this festival two years ago, when Eduardo Serra came to this same festival to give one of his first masterclasses on his life. Unfortunately, I didn't attend it. 3 months later I was working for the same festival. What can I say about it? It's FEST, what else? :)