Terra Franca

On the banks of the river Tagus, in Villa Franca de Xira near Lisbon, Leonor Teles films one year in the life of Albertino Lobo; at dawn, he slips on his oilskin overalls and goes fishing, while behind a café counter, his wife makes fritters. The daily conversation soon moves to an upcoming family event, the marriage of their eldest daughter. The filmmaker gradually opens up the frame to include the family – their grown-up daughters and grand-daughter. The wedding preparations are a source of joy but also of material worry, since Albertino has been hit by a fishing ban. This brings to light without dramatising it the dividing line that sometimes appears within the couple and the hitches within family ties. Splendid shots of the fisherman on the river, framed waist up like a water spirit, contrast with the wife’s desiderata: Albertino should go to the theatre with her and his daughter, notice that she has rearranged the kitchen… While the film documents the end of a life cycle, Teles captures the shock waves on faces and gestures with great sensitivity devoid of complacent nostalgia. A comment tossed from either side can appease a conflict or transform a refusal. The editing captures and highlights this gentle reversibility. When two radiant fiancés appear on television, the fisherman remarks to his wife: “The worst comes later, doesn’t it, Dalia?” Before adding: “And the best”. (Charlotte Garson)