Film info: Fantasia lusitana

Film Information

Original Title	Fantasia lusitana
English Title	Lusitanian Illusion
Director	João Canijo
Country
Year	2010
Format	Digibeta
Colour	Color + B&W
Duration	65 min

Cast:

Hanna Schygulla, Christian Patey, Rüdiger Vogler

Production:

Guión: João Canijo
Montaje: João Braz
Producción: João Trabulo

Synopsis

During the Second World War, Portugal was a paradise: green fields, steeped little streets, and the ocean on the horizon. But all that glitters is not too far from fascism, especially in a time when it was nearly impossible not to stand with either the allies or the enemy. Fantasia lusitana rescues lots of archive footage (including material from several personalities, like Porfirio Rubirosa, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Erika Mann) and observes, analyses, and finally concludes what was the actual stand people took regarding the refugees they gladly welcomed. And also, the country’s reaction to the events that were taking place on the right side (geographically speaking) of the Old Continent. A memory exercise for some, and a historical revelation for others, Fantasia lusitana is much more than a simple fascination for black and white images and the visible and hidden meanings they contain. In the end, it’s the story of a country according to a filmmaker who knows how to look back into the past without ever leaving the present.