The short film “Domingo a Domingo: As mulheres do Espírito Santo da Calheta,” lasting 12 minutes, highlights the “invisible and essential work of women who, year after year, ensure the continuity of the Divine Holy Spirit celebrations,” one of the Azores’ most emblematic traditions, from preparing traditional soups to organizing coronations.
The film is part of the project “A Costela de Lilith,” an artistic initiative celebrating female identity and self-esteem through theater and community.
This documentary “is a cultural and historical record that honors and immortalizes the essential role of women in the celebrations of the Holy Spirit in the municipality of Calheta,” according to the project “A Costela de Lilith” and the cultural association 9’Circos, which focuses on promoting and developing circus arts and theater.
The documentary was directed by Liliana Janeiro, edited by Kukka Harvilahti, and produced with the support of the Government of the Azores, the regional directories of Communities and Youth, and the Municipal Chamber of Calheta on São Jorge Island.
The executive production was managed by Sandra Silva, Joana Silva, and Janete Chaves.
The organization states in a press release that the film’s production involved “intense work” gathering testimonies during the ten days of festivities, revealing “the depth and dedication of the women of Calheta over generations.”
The film also gives voice to the perspective of migrant women, who “reinterpret the Holy Spirit from their experiences, uniting different geographies and female experiences around spirituality and belonging.”
The organization emphasizes that the documentary portrays “the essential work of the Mordomas and the historical origin of the tradition.”
“It is a gesture of recognition and immortalization of the female strength that sustains one of the Azores’ most emblematic traditions, a tradition rooted in the history of Portugal and perpetuated, generation after generation, by the Mordomas of Calheta,” it highlights.
The short film will be screened for free in eight locations in Calheta, starting Sunday, and until November 9.
“It was inspiring to see the labor of women. I can only think that strength comes from action, and this from the dedication to a celebration,” says director Liliana Janeiro, who “was inspired by the figure of Queen Saint Isabel, introducer of the cult of the Divine Holy Spirit in Portugal in the 14th century.”
Also cited in the press release, Janete Chaves, one of the executive producers and also a performer, describes the experience as “extremely revealing and emotional” and, although a native of the island, confesses to having discovered “a whole well-organized tangle of chores related to the final product which are the flavorful and unmatched soups of the Holy Spirit of São Jorge,” served to hundreds of people.
From the executive production as well, Sandra Silva highlights the pride “in seeing women assume central roles in the festivities,” emphasizing that the municipality of Calheta stands out for having “an immense sense of sisterhood.”
Director of Photography Kukka Harvilahti, from Finland, mentions being “impressed by the strength of the community and the resilience of the women,” who “dedicated time from their busy lives, sleeping only a few hours a night, and still found time and affection to show what they were doing.”
“This documentary is a cultural and historical record that honors and immortalizes the essential role of women in the celebrations of the Holy Spirit in the municipality of Calheta — from cooking to coordination and preservation of traditions,” the organization further emphasizes.
