João Gomes | Portugal, 2023, 28'
Ruben introduces Clara to Couto Mixto, once an independent state of Galician and Portuguese hybrid identity. It was there where Sara, Clara’s sister, had a moment of rare peace before she died. A hundred and fifty years after its extinction, the locals still celebrate the old state and its anthem sings the glory of “a whole piece of land sown in hope, a libertarian entelechy”. Ruben and Clara try to dive into its mystique, feel its comfort, and search for the echoes of the past.
João Gomes's first feature film "Natália, A Diva Tragicómica" (2011) is a documentary produced for RTP2 (public cultural tv channel), where all his films were shown (namely "Estórias" and "Tio Carlos 1942-1969»). João has a degree in Sociology and Cinema and a Master's degree in Cinematographic Project Development, completed with honors, at the Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema de Lisboa (ESTC), for the film "A Noite De Santo António. He is also a film critic, a certified trainer on various film topics, and the founder and director of the Cinalfama International Film Festival, an indie cultural reference in Lisbon.
