A criminal complaint has been filed against unknown suspects by Ico Costa, accusing them of “aggravated defamation and falsification of digital identity.”
On Monday, an open letter was shared on Instagram by an alleged victim claiming to have experienced abuse during a relationship with the filmmaker Ico Costa approximately four years ago.
The public accusation includes references to verbal, physical, and psychological abuse, as well as “intimidation tactics, emotional blackmail, and victimization strategies” attributed to Ico Costa, who is described as a “serial abuser” with a “history of sexist assaults.”
The woman, aged 28, asserts knowledge of “at least [six other] victims” and claims the assaults occurred “over at least ten years.”
In her own case, she states that she attempted to file a formal complaint but did not proceed because “the police only presented difficulties, arguing it wouldn’t proceed due to the lack of visible physical injury signs.”
On Tuesday, in a statement to the Lusa news agency, the filmmaker dismissed the allegations, stating that the accusations are false and that he is unaware of who these alleged victims are.
“It’s a false allegation, made by someone I have never met. This person does not exist. […] I oppose any form of cancel culture, and victims must exist, which in this case, they do not,” said the filmmaker.
In an email sent to Lusa, the accuser expressed concern over revealing more than what was already stated in the public letter.
“Saying, as I have read, that I am using a pseudonym is part of a deeply ingrained strategy in Portuguese culture, which discredits the victim, erases a person’s face and fingerprints who cannot be seen regardless of their exposure. If we communicate via email, it’s because we don’t exist and are a pseudonym. If we show our face, it’s because we look like someone who likes to get hit,” she stated.
Today, the filmmaker issued a statement condemning “domestic violence viscerally” and mentioning a “long-term relationship characterized by friendship and love, yet regrettably marked by moments of conflict and toxicity; a matter resolved between the parties more than a decade ago.”
Following the social media allegations, the IndieLisboa film festival, scheduled for May, decided to remove Ico Costa’s film “Balane 3” and another project still in progress from its lineup.
“The situation demands integrity and social responsibility, principles guiding our code of conduct. We are deeply sensitive to violence reports and acknowledge that the social and legal context of gender violence often revictimizes those who report it,” the IndieLisboa management stated in a communiqué on Tuesday.
Although this case pertains to a claim of alleged domestic violence, Terratreme Filmes, the film production company that worked with Ico Costa on various projects, stated in a press release that they never received “any complaints of mistreatment, whether physical or psychological,” against the director.
Contacted today by Lusa, the association MUTIM – Women Workers of Images in Motion confirmed receiving the open letter denuncia via email, addressed to the Danish documentary festival CPH:DOX, where “Balane 3” was screened in March.
“The email request urged other victims to come forward and called on film festivals to stop programming Ico Costa’s movies,” explained Mariana Liz, from the MUTIM management.
The association countered claims of organizing “a meeting of alleged victims of the filmmaker in question” and stated that no other complaints regarding the case have been received.
Mariana Liz also noted that MUTIM has received “reports that, without identifying aggressors, recount situations of violence, harassment, and abuse” and, due to lack of resources, redirects these reports to “official channels.”
“MUTIM does not foresee triggering any mechanisms regarding this case at this time, nor does it consider that it has been requested,” she emphasized.
