Silvestre. 1981. Directed by João César Monteiro

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Silvestre. 1981. Portugal. Directed by João César Monteiro. Courtesy The Cinema Guild

Silvestre. 1981. Portugal. Directed by João César Monteiro. Screenplay by Monteiro, Maria Velho da Costa. With Luis Miguel Cintra, Maria de Medeiros, Teresa Madruga. 4K digital restoration by Cinemateca Portuguesa; courtesy The Cinema Guild. In Portuguese, with English subtitles. 113 min.

For Maria de Medeiros’s first film role, in which she disguises herself as a male knight to live and love freely without the interference of a dangerous suitor, João César Monteiro created a theatrical representation of medieval life complete with mythical creatures and painted and front-projected backdrops. Taking inspiration from the story of Bluebeard and Portuguese fables, Silvestre is a radical take on the historical film and one of the best examples of the confluence between reality and fantasy in Portuguese cinema. Premiered at the Venice Film Festival, the film established Monteiro as one of the most original voices in his generation.

This film accompanies The Ongoing Revolution of Portuguese Cinema.

Past events

Mon, Nov 18, 7:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Sat, Nov 16, 4:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 2

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2

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