‘Venice Classics,’ a recent program of the festival established in 2012, is curated by the artistic director Alberto Barbera. In a statement, he explained that the aim is to celebrate “the great masterpieces and the undisputed masters of cinema history” and to “discover — or rediscover — films and filmmakers unjustly consigned to the shadows.”
This year, among the 18 films selected is ‘Aniki-Bobó’ (1942) by Manoel de Oliveira, restored by the Portuguese Cinematheque.
Produced by António Lopes Ribeiro and premiered on December 18, 1942, ‘Aniki-Bobó’ has become a classic of Portuguese cinema, although it did not receive the expected response from the public at first.
The film is Manoel de Oliveira’s first feature-length film and was shot in the riverside area of Porto, the setting of the director’s debut short film, ‘Douro, Faina Fluvial’ (1931).
‘Aniki-Bobó’ is based on the short story ‘Meninos Milionários’ by Rodrigues de Freitas and focuses on a group of children, such as Carlitos, Teresinha, and Eduardinho, who embody the human dilemmas of jealousy, love, and the choice between good and evil, from a child’s perspective.
The film starred Fernanda Matos (Teresinha), Horácio Silva (Carlitos), and António Santos (Eduardinho).
Luís de Pina, former director of the Portuguese Cinematheque, described ‘Aniki-Bobó’ as an “essentially poetic film” that should not be regarded as suited for children, even though it stars them.
“It is an adult vision of the child world and not a story adapted to a child’s mentality,” he stated.
Manoel de Oliveira, born in Porto in 1908 and lived over a century engaging with the history of cinema, was once the world’s oldest active filmmaker. In 2004, at age 95, he received the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival.
‘Douro, Faina Fluvial,’ a short documentary about life on the banks of the Douro River, was the first film he shot at the age of 23 with a camera gifted by his father. His last film, ‘O Velho do Restelo’ (2014), was filmed in a garden near his home in Porto, featuring actors Luís Miguel Cintra, Ricardo Trepa, Diogo Dória, and Mário Barroso.
Following Manoel de Oliveira’s death in 2015, the film ‘Visita ou Memórias e Confissões,’ which the filmmaker shot in 1982 to be shown publicly only after his passing, was screened.
Manoel de Oliveira’s filmography includes works such as ‘O Acto da Primavera’ (1962), ‘Amor de Perdição’ (1978), ‘Francisca’ (1981), ‘Non, ou a Vã Glória de Mandar’ (1990), ‘Vale Abraão’ (1993), and ‘Viagem ao Princípio do Mundo’ (1997).
As part of the ‘Venice Classics’ program, a prize will be awarded for the best film restoration, chosen by a jury comprising cinema students.
The 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival is scheduled from August 27 to September 6 and will open with the new film by Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, titled ‘La Grazia’.
