João César Monteiro
Encyclopedia
João César Monteiro was a Portuguese
film director
, actor
, writer and film critic . He was born in Figueira da Foz
on February 2, 1939 and died of cancer in Lisbon
on February 3, 2003.
ideals. His family moved to Lisbon when Monteiro was 15 years old to enable him to continue his studies. In 1963, with a grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Monteiro traveled to Great Britain to study at the London School of Film Technique. In 1965 in Portugal, he began work on his first film, Quem Espera por Sapatos de Defunto Morre Descalço (Who Waits for the Deceased's Shoes Dies Barefoot), which would not be finished for five years due to financial problems. At the same time, he made the short documentary "Sophia de Mello Breyner Andersen", about a Portuguese poet. Monteiro also wrote film criticism for periodicals like Imagem, Diário de Lisboa and O Século
.
His first feature film was Fragmentos de um Filme Esmola: A Sagrada Família (1972). In 1982 he made Silvestre an adaptation of traditional Portuguese folk stories. Silvestre was shown at the Venice Film Festival and was an important step in his international recognition. À Flor do Mar (1986), featuring Laura Morante, was shown at the Salsomaggiore Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize. Monteiro returned to the Venice Film Festival in 1989 with Recordações da Casa Amarela (Silver Lion), a film that marked the introduction of the character João de Deus. In 1992 he made O Último Mergulho - esboço de filme, featuring Fabienne Babbe.
A Comédia de Deus
(Venice Film Festival, 1995), As Bodas de Deus
(1999 Cannes Film Festival
), Branca de Neve (Venice Film Festival,, 2000) and Vai~E~Vem (Cannes Film Festival, 2003) were his last works. Branca de Neve (Snow White) was highly controversial because much of the film consists of a black screen, although a densely composed audio track plays throughout.
, as one of the most important Portuguese directors.
, Portuguese Cinematheque, 1999
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, writer and film critic . He was born in Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz , also known as Figueira for short, is a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. It is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, 40 km west of Coimbra, and sheltered by hills ....
on February 2, 1939 and died of cancer in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
on February 3, 2003.
Life and career
João César Monteiro was born into a family with anti-clerical and anti-fascistFascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
ideals. His family moved to Lisbon when Monteiro was 15 years old to enable him to continue his studies. In 1963, with a grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Monteiro traveled to Great Britain to study at the London School of Film Technique. In 1965 in Portugal, he began work on his first film, Quem Espera por Sapatos de Defunto Morre Descalço (Who Waits for the Deceased's Shoes Dies Barefoot), which would not be finished for five years due to financial problems. At the same time, he made the short documentary "Sophia de Mello Breyner Andersen", about a Portuguese poet. Monteiro also wrote film criticism for periodicals like Imagem, Diário de Lisboa and O Século
O Século
O Século was a Portuguese daily newspaper published in Lisbon from 1880 to 1978.It was established by the journalist Sebastião de Magalhães Lima, who had studied Law at the University of Coimbra. O Século was a newspaper of record, and a great rival of the Diário de Notícias....
.
His first feature film was Fragmentos de um Filme Esmola: A Sagrada Família (1972). In 1982 he made Silvestre an adaptation of traditional Portuguese folk stories. Silvestre was shown at the Venice Film Festival and was an important step in his international recognition. À Flor do Mar (1986), featuring Laura Morante, was shown at the Salsomaggiore Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize. Monteiro returned to the Venice Film Festival in 1989 with Recordações da Casa Amarela (Silver Lion), a film that marked the introduction of the character João de Deus. In 1992 he made O Último Mergulho - esboço de filme, featuring Fabienne Babbe.
A Comédia de Deus
A Comédia de Deus
God's Comedy is a 1995 Portuguese film by João César Monteiro. It's the second part in a trilogy, preceded by Recordações da Casa Amarela and followed by As Bodas de Deus ....
(Venice Film Festival, 1995), As Bodas de Deus
As Bodas de Deus
As Bodas de Deus is a 1999 Portuguese comedy film directed by João César Monteiro. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Rita Durão - Joana de Deus* João César Monteiro - João de Deus...
(1999 Cannes Film Festival
1999 Cannes Film Festival
The 52nd Cannes Film Festival was held on May 12-23, 1999. The Palme d'Or went to the French-Belgian film Rosetta by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.-Jury:* David Cronenberg * André Téchiné * Barbara Hendricks...
), Branca de Neve (Venice Film Festival,, 2000) and Vai~E~Vem (Cannes Film Festival, 2003) were his last works. Branca de Neve (Snow White) was highly controversial because much of the film consists of a black screen, although a densely composed audio track plays throughout.
Aesthetics
His work, polemic and hard to classify, has a lyric quality that some identify as "film-poem", however his work is often satirical and cynical. He plays the principal character in many of his films. The quality of his work has been a subject of study by Portuguese and international critics and academicians, and he is recognised, along with Manoel de OliveiraManoel de Oliveira
Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira, GCSE is a Portuguese film director born in Cedofeita, Porto. He began working on films in the late 1920s, but did not receive international recognition until the early 1970s. Since the late 1980s he has been one of the most prolific working film directors and...
, as one of the most important Portuguese directors.
Director
- Sophia de Mello Breyner Andersen (documentary, 1969)
- Quem Espera por Sapatos de Defunto Morre Descalso (short, 1971)
- Fragmentos de um Filme-Esmola: A Sagrada Família (1972)
- Que Farei com Esta Espada? (1975)
- Amor de Mãe (1975)
- Os Dois Soldados (short, 1978)
- Veredas (1978)
- O Amor das Três Romãs (short, 1979)
- O Rico e o Pobre (short, 1979)
- Silvestre (1982)
- À Flor do Mar (1986)
- Recordações da Casa Amarela (1989)
- O Último Mergulho (1992)
- Passeio com Johnny Guitar (short, 1995)
- Lettera amorosa (short, 1995)
- O Bestiário ou o Cortejo de Orpheu (short, 1995)
- A Comédia de DeusA Comédia de DeusGod's Comedy is a 1995 Portuguese film by João César Monteiro. It's the second part in a trilogy, preceded by Recordações da Casa Amarela and followed by As Bodas de Deus ....
(1995) - Le Bassin de John Wayne (1997)
- As Bodas de DeusAs Bodas de DeusAs Bodas de Deus is a 1999 Portuguese comedy film directed by João César Monteiro. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Rita Durão - Joana de Deus* João César Monteiro - João de Deus...
(1999) - Branca de Neve (2000)
- Vai~E~Vem (2003)
Actor
- Amor de Perdição by Manoel de OliveiraManoel de OliveiraManoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira, GCSE is a Portuguese film director born in Cedofeita, Porto. He began working on films in the late 1920s, but did not receive international recognition until the early 1970s. Since the late 1980s he has been one of the most prolific working film directors and...
(1979) - A Estrangeira by João Mário GriloJoão Mário GriloJoão Mário Lourenço Bagão Grilo is a Portuguese film director, author and professor, born in Figueira da Foz. He attended economics at the University of Coimbra but dropped out. In 1983, he graduated in sociology at Lisbon's ISCTE and in 1994 earned a Ph.D...
(1983) - À Flor do Mar by João César Monteiro (1986)
- Doc's Kingdom by Robert KramerRobert KramerRobert Kramer was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed 19 films between 1965 and 1999...
(1987) - Relação Fiel e Verdadeira by Margarida Gil (1989)
- Ricordi della casa gialla by João César Monteiro (1989)
- Conserva Acabada by João César Monteiro (1990)
- Paroles by Anne Benhaïem (1992)
- Rosa Negra by Margarida Gil (1992)
- Passeio com Johnny Guitar by João César Monteiro (1995)
- Lettera Amorosa by João César Monteiro (1995)e
- O Bestiário ou o Cortejo de Orpheu by João César Monteiro (1995)
- La commedia di Dio by João César Monteiro (1995)
- Le Bassin de J.W. by João César Monteiro (1997)
- As Bodas de Deus by João César Monteiro (1999)
- Vai~E~Vem by João César Monteiro (2003)
Books
- Corpo Submerso (1959)
- Morituri te Salutant (1974)
- Le Bassin de John Wayne (1998)
- As Bodas de Deus (1998)
- Uma Semana Noutra Cidade (1999)
Bibliographic references
O Cais do Olhar by José de Matos-CruzJosé de Matos-Cruz
José de Matos-Cruz is a Portuguese writer, journalist, editor, high-school teacher, investigator, encyclopedist. From 1980 to 2010, he works at the Cinemateca Portuguesa , in Lisbon...
, Portuguese Cinematheque, 1999