Lusophone Film Festival

O Voo do Crocodilo – O Timor de Ruy Cinatti (The Flight of The Crocodile) - (Timor-Leste)

(71 minutes;2024; Portuguese)

Director:  Fernando Vendrell

A documentary on Portuguese poet and anthropologist Ruy Cinatti, capturing his profound connection with Timor-Leste, its people, and traditions, through archival footage and writings that reflect a period of cultural and historical transition.

At 16:41

O Que Podem as Palavras (What Words Can Do) – (Portugal)

(76 minutes;2022; Portuguese)

Director:  Luísa Marinho and Luísa Sequeira

This documentary offers an intimate portrait of the “Three Marias”—Maria Isabel Barreno, Maria Teresa Horta, and Maria Velho da Costa—whose ground breaking 1972 work New Portuguese Letters challenged social norms and censorship under Portugal’s dictatorship. Through archival material and testimonies, the film reflects on the power of words as acts of resistance and transformation.

At 18:17

As Primeiras (The First Women) – (Brazil)

(78 minutes;2024; Portuguese)

Director:  Adriana Yañez

This documentary follows a group of women now in their sixties who share a remarkable past as pioneers of Brazil’s first women’s football team. Through their memories and experiences, the film reflects on resilience, friendship, and the challenges they faced in breaking gender barriers in sport.

At 19:35

Orlando Pantera (Orlando Pantera) – (Cape Verde)

(80 minutes;2025; Portuguese)

Director:  Catarina Alves Costa

This documentary revisits the life and legacy of Cape Verdean musician Orlando Pantera, whose promising career was cut short at the age of 33. Through archival material, music, and testimonies, the film reconstructs his artistic journey and celebrates his enduring influence on Cape Verde’s musical identity.

Celebrate World Portuguese Language Day with a curated screening of films from across the Portuguese-speaking world.

(Collaboration: Portuguese Embassy Cultural Centre)