Rabo de Peixe

Fifteen years ago, Joaquim Pinto and his companion Nuno Leonel made several trips to a small fishing port in the Azores called “Fishtail”. Their encounter with Pedro, the son-in-law of a friend, both of whom are fishermen, marks the beginning of a long friendship that takes the filmmakers out to sea in search of cod (eaten locally) or swordfish (kept for export). The re-editing and totally new commentary of this old footage gives Fish Tail a unique tone, especially as the port has since been replaced by a huge facility funded by the EU. If the filmmakers avoid any nostalgia, this is because the roots they have developed there are still very much alive. And because this documentary about a tough and perilous way of life is also the story of the duo’s growing attachment to Pedro’s siblings and to the small community. A chronicle of fishing expeditions and local festivals, the film highlights the local taste for mythical narratives (“Preto” the novice—a dark handsome stranger—is said to be the son of Zeus and a dolphin…) and bears witness to the threat of international overfishing. The young fishermen are neither bent on traditional techniques nor eager to modernise their trade at any cost: when Pedro learns that he cannot fish until he gets a new permit, he is happy enough to visit his new fishing boat without setting out to sea… “Fishermen have always been free.” (Charlotte Garson)