The story we want to tell is the grandmother of filmmaker through a short film.
In,1945, a young austrian boy is brought to Elvas, Portugal, along with hundreds of other children, to be sheltered form the aftermath of war, until his family is found. Being with his foster family, this boy encounters a little girl - a proud, strong high spirited girl, who knows nothing of war, and barriers form between them. But as they learn to communicate past the language, a strong bond is formed in this unlikely reunion. This little girl was the director's grandmother, and this is the story we are trying to tell, through a short film. With the support of MET FIlm school, we want to take this story beyond borders.
Photos of that period belonging to Laura's grandmother
The devastation of the WWII has been told many times, as a concept, as a story, as a memory. But perhaps the most important for the generations to come would be the human testimonials. In Portugal, fortunately, or unfortunately, there is little collective memory of the war, as the country did not take part of it. However, it played a fundamental role in a more important element: it helped build the foundations to a new society. This event - the taking care of young austrian children, plenty of them orphans, by portuguese families is almost completely unknown to the public. This story is possibly one of the few portuguese accounts that survived the passing of time, now ready to echo again in a younger generation.
pelourinho em elvas
This movie was born precisely from the director’s need to tell a story that has been with her through her childhood, hearing her grandmother’s stories set in Elvas. On the other hand, the director has also developed a fascination for the city, for its ancient historical background, for its old beauty, and for its forgotten importance as this story. This tale should come to our present difficult times. We do not differ as much as we think from that era and it is important to learn from our past so we can see our future.
Being in Met Film School, Laura has finally the means to tell the story, having the oportunity to take it beyond borders, to internation film festivals, in its human importance, as a portuguese testimonial, as a memory of injustice, but also as a story with a surprising, and necessary human dimention.
About the author
Team:
Laura Seixas - Realizadora/Co-argumentista
Laura Seixas: Director/co-writer
With a soft spot for drama, Laura has always been a stage creature. She became an actress trained in Meisner and tried to learn practically every position in the filmmaking process. At the end, it was directing that won her heart. She came to Met Film School to learn how to scream her vision to the world. With a vast experience in the suspense and drama department, she’s looking forward to start filming her new project. She believes that not only it will be a powerful story, but that it will also be a testimony of historical value.
Miguel Ribeiro - Produtor
Miguel Ribeiro: Producer
Film Junkie, not afraid of an overdose, nor is he searching for rehab. Instead, he is, since 2012, Programme Coordinator of DocLisboa - International Film Festival, he's a member of the Rabbit Hole Cultural Association, where he takes part of the artistic ensemble responsible for the “biggest consecration of Lisbon’s queer-trash", and he also took part, as a freelance producer, in many other projects, such as Nirvana, by Tiago P. de Carvalho, which is had its theatrical release in May 2014
Irina Batalha - Produtora
Irina Batalha: Producer
Lover of new things, of everything strange and beautiful, and life in general. Creativity is her strong point, and maybe that's why she's into such different things such as video editing, production, web strategies, and journalism. Currently, she's the online content producer for the NGO Graal, where she edits spots against dating violence, and editor for the the feminist e-zine Clitoris da Razão. She also co-produced the movie "Nirvana", by Tiago P. de Carvalho, which had its theatrical release in May 2014.
Kerry-An McGregor -Co-Argumentista
Kerry-Ann Calleja McGregor - Co-writer
Originally came to screen writing via interior design. I felt pretty rooms weren’t enough so thought it was my job to fill the world with pretty words instead. I have worked as a presenter on BBC1 “To buy or not to be” and a consultant on Channel 4 “Property ladder”. I did a brief stint as a TV Production assistant in my home of Malta for “M” a movie review show. I have just finished writing my first novel based on the Maltese gangsters in London. My days are currently filled writing for various projects and trying not to trip over famous actors in Ealing studios were I am now based while finishing my MA in screenwriting at Met Film School.
Miguel Saraiva - Diretor de Fotografia
Miguel Saraiva - Director Of Photography
Presently attending Lusófona University on the Cinema, Video and Multimedia communication course, where he has always stood out in the image department. His taste for photography direction found its way and, joining together all the theoretical and practical skills he obtained, he managed to perform as a D.o.P in one of the 4 final projects of the course that was shot in actual film. This project won the “best movie award” category of the Great Prize Lusófona University/ICA, and went on to be selected for the 2014 edition of Indie Lisboa Film Festival.
Dividing his time with numerous academic projects performing as a D.o.P., he’s currently working as image assistant in many other professional projects, such as “Numen, o peso do paraíso, de Rui Chafes”, directed by João Mário Grilo.
Shalini Menon - Editor and Post-Production
Post-graduate student at Met Film School, London, Shalini is a cinema aficionado with a passion for post-production. She has already worked with the director several times on other projects. Outside of MET, she has been involved in a number of creative media projects including radio dramas and stop-motion short films. Besides this, Shalini has worked as a print reporter and web content writer. She is also interested in photography, baking and poetry.
Tomé Palmeirim - Sound Director
Tomé completed his studies at Escola Superior de Teatro e CInema, where he specialized in the area of sound for film. Before he graduated, he worked with Edgar Pera in the preparation and edition of a documental feature, and from 2010 to 2013 he was assistant to the sound engineer Pedro Magalhães, both in studio (working at Golden Pony), and in live recordings. Recently, he has worked as a sound assistant for several sound directors, among which are Quintino Bastos, Vasco Pedroso, and Vasco Pimentel.
