The festival, organized by the European Union delegation in Venezuela (EU-VE) in collaboration with embassies of participating countries and the cultural institutes Goethe and Camões, aims to showcase the diversity of recent European cinema. It is supported by Universal Pictures Venezuela, Distribuidora Bolívar Films, Cinecolor Venezuela, and Empresas Polar.
According to a press release from the EU-VE, Euroscopio brings together 21 films from 19 countries: Austria, Germany, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, and Sweden, along with the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
Representing Portugal, ‘The Art of Dying Far Away’ is a drama directed by Júlio Alves in 2020. With a runtime of 91 minutes, the film explores whether a turtle, the world’s most peaceful animal, can forever change the lives of a couple.
“After dividing their assets, Arnaldo and Bárbara still have to decide what to do with the turtle before formalizing their separation. Amid doubts, failed solutions, and misunderstandings, the turtle’s fate delays the divorce. They realize that returning it to its natural habitat will mark the end of their relationship,” reads the synopsis issued in Caracas.
The second film representing Portugal at Euroscopio, ‘Al Berto,’ is a drama about homosexuality in the 1970s, directed by Vicente Alves do Ó in 2017.
In 1975, the winds of change blew through post-revolutionary Portugal. Al Berto, an aspiring poet, returns to his hometown of Sines. He moves clandestinely into a mansion expropriated from his family during the revolution, mingles with neighbors who share his interest in the arts, and dreams of a different life. He quickly finds a lover, João Maria, while also provoking the ire of more conservative residents, as detailed in the synopsis.
The festival’s schedule is available at www.euroscopio.com, with screenings held at popular cinemas in Venezuela, such as Trasnocho Cultural, Fundación Cinemateca Nacional, as well as Cines Unidos, Cinex, Supercines, and Cinepic chains. The films will also be shown in major universities across the country.
The festival will additionally take place in alternative venues including CineArte Patio Trigal at the University of Carabobo, the Bordes Foundation in Táchira, and the Modern Art Cultural Center in La Castellana, Caracas.
