He is software engineer, artist, trainer, promoter of workshops, comics designer and multilingual. All he lacks is to play an instrument. He is the master of all trades, a true force of nature that sees life as a mission where you have to give something more to the world. His name? Roberto Macedo Alves.

You came from a scientific area that is accurate, but at the same time you are an artist the privilege universe of creativity, how you combine these two facets?
Roberto Macedo Alves: I need this combination to live. When I was younger had two loves. (Laughs) I always liked to draw, I still have drawings I did with three years old, my mother kept them. I had comic books (CB) before I knew even how to read, since 1978.

Taught yourself to read?
RMA: That part I do not remember, but my mother tells me so. In school I wrote my name, as kids of my age still learned the letters.

Let's go back to your two loves ...
RMA: I liked the first CB so much I tried to draw ever since. At ten years of age found a science fiction writer named Isaac Asimov, robots and cybernetics were discovered by me, was in the eighties, so I decided I want to be part of the future. From that moment on I always wanted a computer. The first was a Macintosh in 1986. There was no better, I disassembled it after a week, I returned to the store so they can help me with parts left over and it worked again. In fact even to the current day it works, and I have the floppy disc also. I never had the courage to throw it away. I have a shelf with this model, an Imac, the first with color, the second best computer ever made and now I have the plain. I always wanted to be part of this world, where computers talk to each other, with advanced machinery, I was 14 years old and reached a point where I had to choose: the arts, I read and draw, and information technology.

But then you did comic strips?
RMA: Yes, began with Jules Verne, the twenty thousand leagues under the sea, at nine years old. I thought the author was glorious because he was speaking of Madeira; it was the highest peaks of Atlantis. At the Red Peak could see a few shells that I associated books. I read all about this writer until there was, indeed, the "green ray", pages contains almost all the descriptions of the landscapes of Madeira, its pebble beach's and vegetation. It was all fascinating, because it was a publication of the nineteenth century. I also adapted the books of Sir Conan Doyle with ten years old. I read all about Sherlock Holmes, the science fiction books of Professor Challenger and historical publications. With fourteen years of age I transposed Asimov's books to comics. I have an obsession with the authors that I like, I read everything. After that I re-read over in English, started with CB with the help of the dictionary. I bought the books in Portuguese, but I found a kiosk that sold them in English and there was a lag of four years between the two versions. In the adventures of Spiderman in Portugal, he was still a lone hero in the U.S. he was married to Mary Jane for several years, they were only in English, I did not understand half of what was there and so began the translating process. Today, my English is as fluent as the Portuguese and Spanish; I just need to change it with a mental switch.

Then how did you start painting?
University I had to decide, science or art. I liked both and was very difficult to choose, I began to think of embarking in the sciences, information technology, because I could study art at my own expense. It was easier in terms of study than the scenery around. The science involves mathematical equations and calculations, and had no way of knowing whether they were correct to it all alone, in terms of art could learn from some books and lots of practice. Of the books I have at home, the art publications is five times more than the computer. I got to make adaptations of my favorite Marvel superheroes such as Spider Man. Yet these drawings were snotty, they lacked practice. I started walking with a notebook around everywhere. On the tube, drew people who were waiting at the stop, reading the newspaper. I drew everything I liked. I have over 50 sketchbooks. Only after spending a lot of paper, hundreds of sheets that practice would be able to get me the result which would not embarrass me. Still was not enough, because although the position of the people was natural, were never imposing. Need something with more impact; I started reading the great masters. I had read a book by Giorgio Vasari, a biography about the life of the great painters, sculptors and architects. He spoke of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and all the great artists. I read that they learned to draw by copying each other. It was a revolution. I bought a book of Michelangelo, did all the drawings in pencil of the Sistine Chapel, to see what was the structure in terms of anatomy, arms, and the proportions. Then I came to the conclusion that he could not draw women. I then proceeded to Leonardo, but still only managed to dominate the female figure with Delacroix. Later in college, I spent endless hours in the museums of sacred art, the Gulbenkian and Centro Cultural de Belem was there almost every weekend. I enjoyed myself a lot in sciences, the notion of exact, but it needed at the same time to twist my head and unleash creativity, complemented one another. Today it is still this way. In the morning I am the coordinator of the IT department of the regional statistics and in the late afternoon I'm at the store, with drawings, with the kids that come with their comic projects and plan events. I could not live without one or the other.

After that you embraced a life in London, why did you turn back to the island?
RMA: I've had a season there. But suddenly I felt the need for a quieter life. I need to go back the origins of peace and quiet. I was always running around all that and I was dripping. I looked in the mirror, I felt old, fat, I seemed like forty years old, so I came back. Everyone told me, you are crazy, in three months you'll be back. I needed family stability, but I realized that this was more stationary than I thought and started to move. I tried to always bring more excitement.

The female presence is an association of public utility with the main goal to support victims of domestic violence. From 1993 they develop a valuable work that encompasses not only the assistance of people who resort to this institution, but aims at raising awareness especially among young people, in order to prevent future situations of violence and change minds. A titanic labor that may be in jeopardy due to lack of space and funds for annexation of technical expertise.

I would like to begin with the balance of the activity of this organization since its inception in 1993?
Helena Pestana: We worked on three key areas. One is to support victims of domestic violence, totaling one hundred and forty-six cases that we are following now. Ninety-three of these women first came to us and 53 processes still took place in previous years, because they are in court. There was an increase in requests for substantial aid, last year received we 67 as opposed to 93 last year. In the space that you saw, we do a first assessment, where people see them for an initial consultation.

They appear by their own free will, or are referred by other institutions dealing with these women?
HP: We have diverse needs. There are people who are sent over the network, including social security, health centers, police, neighbors, friends and family. What we do here? In the first treatment we provided all the necessary information, we take care of the problem, we mainly hear because it is the most important for them. Many people have this expectation, to be heard, to discuss their problem. We have no recipes, we cannot give direct advice, we give alternatives, constructive ideas and scenarios before these people make their decisions. Must be the victim in this case the woman, because the vast majority are female, looking for us. However, the 146 cases mentioned above, four are men. After this first approach and assessment of the issue by the association, within our space, we provide psychological, legal and social aid, in also in the case of lack of shoes, clothes and food. Eventually in life-threatening cases and no family support, we make the referral to shelters. The association manages one of the three existing homes across the island. Then there is an entire work that is developed after the entry of women in the shelter. We prepared an annual individual project, in terms of their personal, social and parental skills, because women are alone, some are accompanied by their minor children. The aim is a good social reintegration and leave with them with some security in employment and adequate housing.

What is the profile of these women victims of domestic violence?
HP: Are women from the ages 25 to 70 years old. Although the majority of the victims is between 35 to 45 years old. The average is higher at these ages. One difference that we noticed, not substantial yet, but that note is the increase in requests for help from young people. At this time, we help younger women, between the 24 to 26 years old. We already see a little light at the end of the tunnel, because these data indicate that people no longer allow themselves to keep for years a violent situation. These results are the consequence of the disclosure that the regional plan has had. The role of the media is important in this matter and the whole network working for these victims. I think all these factors contributed to give women more confidence.

There is also the idea that the vast majority of these victims come from more deprived social backgrounds.
HP: Overall this is a myth. We know that domestic violence knows no boundaries, covers all ages; it is evident that the vast majority is female that is referenced. To the association come people from lower middle class, with a level of education that encloses the first cycle. This year we had six women college graduates who asked for help. So why is that most demand for help comes from the poorest social classes? The association provides many services for free, it is clear that someone who has a more favorable economic condition has access to such facilities individually. This condition allows her to solve certain problems, such as where I go? But it doesn't free her from of other factors. It is a joint work, which requires a thorough knowledge of the actual situation of each person. Of the 93 new cases this year, 64 of the victims reported the alcohol factor as being important. They believe that this factor causes domestic violence. It is again a myth, but they believe. Not true, the trigger is alcohol only, does enhance the germ of violence that already exists. Alcohol is a way to expand these behaviors and to excuse the violence. By the numbers we reached the conclusion that there is not the low economic situation and that is the key. Socially we supported 149 people and only 26 of them are referred to domestic violence, we help with clothing, food and some medicines. Back to the beginning, I cannot draw conclusions with these data, because these 123 women did not report any problems with violence in their homes. If there is a family structured and if there are values, such love in big letters, you may even have a situation where people come together, share and seek to resolve the economic issue.

In men who we serve this year is clearly a sense of power over another, why? They say that by being unemployed, they feels psychologically pressure by women, they feels diminished by being out of work. It is this factor that is associated with others that they have engraved in their personality and way of thinking. If he had a position of equality with women, is not because he is unemployed that she will downgrade him, but can happen. It's about your self-esteem. We returned to the family, if there is an imbalance that unemployment will trigger violence. It's about people.

He started as director of photography for documentaries, but his passion for images led him to filmmaking about this favorite subject, the mountains that he also decided to capture their essence through photography.

Why this theme?
Ricardo Garden: What I do is not really an issue; I have a very particular relationship with the mountain and photograph it in an almost obsessive way for several decades. Some fifteen years ago I started working it more seriously. I learned photography, I studied a little of this art, began to learn how to make the frameworks and my work has been improving over the years, but is not really a theme, I do this alone.

So just photographed the mountainous areas of Madeira?
RJ: I work on other mountains in the world, but this exposure is associated with an event on the island, so I decided to show only the images that I picked up here. It photographed the Atlas, the Alps and the Pyrenees, but the bulk of the work is in fact of Madera.

Why this fascination with the island? What attracts you?
RJ: It draw me the peace, the silence, a break from the insanity of man, which is represented by the cities, although cities are taking things that I think are as harmonious as the mountain. In urban areas this is not a rule, but in the mountains, yes. Perhaps that is why spend more time on the mountain than in town.

This factor is related to radical sports?
RJ: I do not practice sports. I have activities that can be considered sports, but do not practice accordingly. The walk and the scale is not a sport, it's a way to get to the top of the mountain to photograph and film. I do it always as a contemplative side and not as a sport.

What is the mountain you would like to shoot next time?
RJ: The places that might be hankering to shoot in South America and then to New Zealand attracts me a lot and perhaps there are other mountainous areas that I will find out, but maybe one that fascinates me is Patagonia. Chile and Argentina are countries where I feel like shooting, but I do not know when I will do so.

So what is your profession? From what I understand the picture of mountains is a kind of hobby.
RJ: I make a documentary film also related to the environment, on the mountain. All I do is related to this issue. The film examines the relationship between man and mountain, the human factor, but I will not say how, because I want to be it as a surprise, since it will be presented at Madera Film Festival'12. It's all filmed on the island. I am nearing completion and would soon move on to other mountains. When I feel I've explored everything I wanted to do here, I will move on to another.

Reginaldo Faria the actor is widely kwon of the portuguese public about the filmemaker we cannot say the same. On the pretext of the presentation of his latest film "The Postman," which debuted in Europe in Funchal International Film Festival '11, we talked a little about this bucolic, entertaining story and the poetry in the life of a meddling postman in love. We also outline the Brazilian cinema, his filmography and in the end, his Madeira roots. Yes you read correctly, his family came from a place called Câmara de Lobos.

You are known by the Portuguese public as an actor in soap operas, we are unaware of the filmmaker side, were came the idea for the postman? It is a very bucolic movie.
Reginaldo Faria: It comes from having been filmed in this central region of Ribeirão do Sul, in the Vale Veneto, which has the fourth largest Italian colony of Brazil, which is the land of my wife, I was inspired by that landscape and went there on purpose to make this movie.

When you introduced the theme of this film, focused on the issue of the Brazilian cinema today produces only violent movies and comedies, why? You think Brazilians will not go to the cinema to see this "postman"?
RF: They have a certain reaction that results from a certain cultural conditioning these days. The market requires a lot of other film asks violence, calls for terror, the torn comedy and when you make this kind of film like mine that has a touch of humor, it is marginalized by the market. We have to work hard, or it will remain unseen.

Why do you think that happens? There is a setback in terms of quality?
RF: I do not think it is a setback in quality; there are wonderful Brazilian films such as "elite troops" which is a very important social analysis. There is much the question, that it's a vogue. In Brazil if someone makes a successful comedy everyone make a movie like it. If someone makes a thriller and it is successful, everyone does the same. They have no originality; they do not want to pursue other things. I think the filmmaking has several windows that can be displayed. I bet on this project to see what happens.

What then was the reaction of the Brazilian public to the Postman?
RF: It was not released. He won a prize at the Festival of Gramado won the photography, in the Goiás won with the best music and Supporting Actress.

The fort of St. Joseph in Funchal is a legal mistake in the words of Don Renato who decided to take advantage of the error and create a micro state in the Atlantic. An eccentricity that was only possible thanks to the Portuguese state, which in the last century, decided to sell this small territory in order to raise money. Now, imagine if they won the euro millions. Would you buy that rock? Come meet the owner of the principality of Pontinha.

What led you to buy this particular location?
Renato Barros: I bought the territory accidentally. Met one day the previous owners and decided to acquire the Fort St. Joseph at the time they called me crazy, after 12 years, I continue to be crazy because I won't sell the island.

At the time how much did it cost?
RB: It cost 45 000 euros, there are cars more expensive than my country.
In others interviews you declared more than once that the principality would have multiple poles of attraction, including a marina, I see that nothing happened.
RB: Portugal has 800 years of history and still has not found an economic course. My kingdom has only two years, see the time that I have to be at the same level as Portugal. In fact, I think that the Portuguese are not going to be extinct as a nation, but they will be subordinates of another superpower, because it has nothing. I tell foreigners that Portugal has three things, Cristiano Ronaldo in Spain, bananas, but they don't produce the fertilizer and sun. Furthermore, Portugal has nothing, apart from politicians who manage to hide the money well and some charm. I would not say that is a layer of rascals, because the Portuguese population is not scoundrels, but unfortunately most of the lot that rules them, here next to my island, is.

Is not it a contradiction to criticize the Portuguese, when you work in Portugal?
RB: Not at all, I am an emigrant. It is nonsense, ma'am, if I live on my island, if I destroy these relics, would ruin a part of the island's history. Do not forget it was there that occur the first f... of the Atlantic. All this happened on my island. Zarco and his wife when they came to colonize Madeira were staying there; this was the chosen ground according to the history of the discoveries.

Eloy Antonio is responsible for organizing the first Festival of uranium held in Porto at the Casa da Horta. An event organized by the social activist, consultant to clean energy, teacher and writer, who aims to promote awareness of people about the dangers of nuclear energy and debate other issues related to the films on display.

What is the importance of this festival at a national level?
Antonio Eloy: This festival comes as an extension which was held in Rio de Janeiro. That shows the most important films that have passed in this event. I have received by coordination of the festival by the Brazilian organizers when they passed through Portugal, during filming an uranium mining in Nisa and had some contacts with the area Urgeiriça. I gave them an explanation of my social and professional activity in this area and explained to them the problem of a future hypothetical mining of Nisa, the difficulties that already exist in terms of recovery of mined areas, social and health public problems for the workers and populations in the whole area of ​​Cova da Beira. It was a great conversation, we were in contact and they challenged me to organize this extension of the festival in Oporto. We are thinking about transposing this event, in January to the city of Lisbon. We also have the availability of local authorities to show the film in other parts of the country, though these films are focused on production, also focus on the problems surrounding the uranium cycle, energy production in power plants, the use of its waste to the manufacture of bombs and depleted uranium weapons of mass destruction is addressed in films with high quality.

Why did you decide to bring this event here, do you think we don't give the due importance to the nuclear issue in our country?
AE: In Portugal we have several problems with the cycle of uranium mining in the Cova da Beira causing serious damage and still have environmental effects on population and workers health. There is the possibility of opening a new deposit in the district of Nice, which faces strong public opposition and analysis show a very negative environmental impact. This festival can be passed in these areas and help create a movement of public opinion, help restore devastated areas and prevent new areas to be destroyed. In Portugal, and has been discussed, we have people who advocate the installation of nuclear plants. Finally, we have the central problem of Spain who are here very near of us as the case of the central of Almaraz, the closure of plants in the area of ​​Andalusia, had the threat of creating a radioactive cemetery near the Portuguese border and we proceeded in the past to the closure of Atlantic sea trenches which worried us a lot, although this problem has been removed.

The program did not show any movies about the issue of uranium in Portugal, this is because they want to show it in January?
AE: We guaranteed the world premiere of a film about the area of ​​Nisa, conducted by Marcia Gomes and Norbert Shuchanek which addresses these specific issues of the hypothetical mining in the area. As part of this festival was to develop some contacts, we particularly approach a group of young people who have made a film about the mines and Borralha that were interested in filming on the Cova da Beira with two alternative approaches. This project is being studied and it is clear that in the future the documentary will be shown, not in January, because there is no chance to do in such a short time, but will be show in it in the extension of the festival that we will do later in the year 2012, early 2013.

Élvio Camacho is passionate about his art for over twenty years. A career full of ups and downs based mainly on the activity of the Experimental Theatre of Funchal. It is on stage that he was born and raised as an actor. It is his natural environment, where he tries to extrapolate the imaginary on scene to the public, so that the words resonate in the audience and makes them think.

Why you chose to stage the "Madeira my dear," a play with only two characters and a very regional theme?
Élvio Camacho: The team work is already theater. We say that an actor can only do a monologue, but the rest is essentially counter-scene. I always liked to do shows with just two people. Years ago I made a pair with Paula Guerra, with texts of Alberto Caeiro, did a show is still part of the touring repertoire in the Experimental Theatre of Funchal (ETF). Why this "Madeira my dear?" It is based on three tales of Ernesto Leal, who is original from Madera and would be in the year 2013 100 years. He was a well-traveled man who left us four texts about the Madera of his childhood, the one he left behind, never scorned and gave us an impression of the island, a magnificent one. The man who ate mist. Uncle Island, custard apples and stars say anything to anyone who reads these stories of Madera, by the way they are written, and people resonate with them. We review ourselves in them. Ernesto Leal deserved the adaptation of these texts to the theater, because has an implicit theatricality, there are a lot of dialogue and thought why not adapt it and shows it in Madera?

Why? It is still very relevant today after almost one hundred years?
EC: In the theater we do not rebuild the archeology, folklore and photography do that. They are present because they speak of eternal principles, fog, maybe we do not do corn in an iron pot with three parts, based on a dirt floor as he described, but we all know what that is.

The idiosyncrasies of the locals are there?
EC: Completely. The fog of the mountain, the echo, as we sound. There is a text of Ernesto Leal that explains the Maderan accent; he says they sound like a braguinha, the traditional instrument, also due to topography of the island which means that we need to be heard on the other side. It is of an astonishing modernity. It is eternal in us. We have the sea that tempers all around us, a mountain that causes the echoes and hear us too. They are tales that all islanders should listen. The title "Madeira my dear," is a song from a celebrate double Donald and Swan, of the fifties, who did a show called, "how to drop of a hat" and one of the themes is "have some Madera my dear", is an old man who invites a young girl to drink a glass of Madera wine at home and hence the joke. I thought that the universality of Ernesto Leal gives this toast to Madera. We are making local action, but to speak for the whole world, so we place it as the title of the show, which could also be called the man who ate mist.

It's a beautiful title.
EC: Yeah, but this text is entirely in the show, but they are three stories of Ernesto Leal and are not just an excuse on the part, are respected and we had to shorten some parts because they are large and not suitable to the stage and what we needed, but is the universe of the author and we have videos in the middle of the spectacle of our times, a character who works here, a personality from Madera that makes an invitation to the imagination. We talked about iPods, caves and go beyond, what Ernesto Leal is encouraging? Our capacity for imagination of anyone in the world, without being in Madera, the show has this ability to not be a photograph of Ernesto Leal texts that are sprawled on the stage. We must create ideas about these texts.

Ana Brito e Cunha needs almost no introduction. She is one of the Portuguese actresses with a grand career in performing arts and television. This year she accepted the challenge to be a judge in FIFF'11, an invitation she feels very proud of and another step in an already long artistic career.

From what you saw as a judge at the film festival, what is your opinion about the work presented in general?
Ana Brito e Cunha: This was the first time I've been a jury in this kind of competition, which to me is a privilege. I think the quality of the festival was much higher than expected, and this is the 6th edition and I was aware of a primacy for quality, now that I was more on the inside. I feel immensely proud to realize that the quality of the artists present was very good indeed. And also the fact that it allows an interesting international exchange of views on this art and be very comprehensive one.

How you're invited?
ABC: Through the director of the Festival, Henrique Teixeira. Last year I presented the closing ceremony. This year I was sworn. What honors me greatly and there this allowed me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge and experience.

If you could be a movie actress (regardless of the festival) what character would you choose? And why?
ABC: The female character of the movie of Matias Bize from Chile, "La vida de los peces," also the winning film, because the role has an amazing consistency, history and above all because I love the work and how director tells the story of these characters.

As an actress how do you see the evolution of Portuguese cinema? Do you think there is progress in the right direction or not? What do you think it needs to win this impulse?
ABC: I think it has asserted itself more and more, little by little, we must be aware that it is a market that still has a lot to grow and develop to do, it is still somewhat restricted, but it is also undisputed that each time we have the best artists and quality of work. It should be better supported and provide space and opportunities for renewal. It is no accident that throughout the world will hear about some Portuguese involved in big productions, whether dependent or independent features.

It is the sixth edition of the Funchal Film Festival. An event that, despite financial constraints, has an ambitious schedule planned for this year. Of note, a retrospective of the work of Brazilian filmmaker Roberto Frias, a tribute to Terry Jones and a very European and national cinema, as told by its director, Henry Teixeira.

What was the evolution of Funchal International Film Festival since its first edition until today?
Henrique Teixeira: I still think this is a modest festival. It is small, however, when I look back I laugh to what I already did. In fact there was an evolution. I remember the first edition that I had no money even for subtitling the films and there were some in the audience that heard the original language. It is therefore difficult. It does not attract public and it is unthinkable happen. It was necessary to take chances. Running the risk of being criticized and people think that is worth it. In fact, despite these upheavals saw that there was a project with legs to walk. I remember it was possible to bring at a minimal cost actress Victoria Abril. She helped to brighten up the event, because it is a familiar face, she is a chica Almodovar and was a woman, during the three days she was here, with an incredible energy, a volcano as the Spaniards say. She was visible, graced the festival and had a lot of people who wanted to support and support the continuity of this event. And so it went. The second festival took place with a little more support and private companies found that here there could be a vehicle for promoting their products. The two entities involved in the organizations who are the Funchal Municipal Council and the regional department of tourism and culture, also began to sponsor this event in an increasingly visible way. This sixth edition is different due to the reduction of financial support, nothing else. Cut with huge ambitions we had for this event, but recently appeared the extraordinary support of a hotel group, Porto Bay who helped make possible the realization of this project. We have to adapt and adjust the schedule to the current flowing from the grips of the reality we live in. This is visible on the jury, which had five members change to four. In the section devoted to regional cinema, there were some cuts.

In programming terms, something changed?
HT: No, basically the program is exactly the same. We have the international competition of feature and short films. There is a retrospective devoted to a top director in Brazil, which is the Roberto Faria and we have some specific situations, such as a wine session, supported by the Madeira Wine Institute and an opening session with a tribute to Terry Jones, with "the life of Brian" and not least animated film section dedicated to children. It is essential that the kids come to the cinema and the theater hall. In addition we organized cinema workshop with the help of the little film academy.

Recently in an interview you claimed that the international projection of FFF'06 occurred after participating in Cannes. Without this kind of promotion a festival cannot exist?
HT: The festivals have to be constantly promoted. You must self-disclose at all times. Nothing better than the European market in Cannes. During the film festival, occurs an event called film market, the industry, professionals are installed there. About 12 000 accredited for six days, is a hive of producers, directors and distributors that promote their productions. We had a very simple display, me with a shoulder bag. I try to trigger meetings to show the material gathered here in Madeira. Explaining, motivating creating interest of international producers to bring their films here.

So there are significant differences from the first edition?
HT: Absolutely, because in the very first issue we appeal to the interest of national distribution, i.e. the companies that put the movies in the cinemas and have the copyright vested in our country and yet we got to rent copies to display in that first year . We had a site for the purpose, 17 films were submitted and none was able to be shown to the public. From promoting the festival in Cannes the following year, submissions increased to one hundred films soon and this 6th edition we received a total of 400 works that were sent between May and October.

The walnut shells were born in 2001, within the academic and cultural association of Ermesinde, in order to bring plays to the general public. It is a heterogeneous group of people with a common denominator the theater. Ten years later, the desire to create, assemble and stage shows still stands as the first day that he first heard the pounding strokes of Moliere on the stage. A determination that remains at the expense of their love for art and the affection of the public twice a week with performances of three hours per session, as the responsible for the group and also actresses tell us, Maria Fernanda Rodrigues.

How did the walnut shells appeared as a group ?

Maria Fernanda Rodrigues: Arise like theater group in 2001. We are challenged by the Chamber of Valongo to participate in amateur theater shows, which already have been going on for 15 years. Since then every year we participated with a play in this event.

In addition to participate in amateur theater shows, what is the rest of the group activity?

MFR: We have created pieces for the show and then replacements to the general public.

There is much public that goes to the theater to see the plays?

MFR: There is a public. In Valongo there are about 15 amateur theater groups. We were the second to appear in Ermesinde and have a great support from the public, the audience of the cultural arts forum has 300 places and in our replacements usually we have a full house. What is very good.

What are the criterions of choice for the plays? What are you looking for?

MFR: We initially started with Portuguese authors. Staged several, among them Gil Vicente. Lately made a foray into the absurd theater with Dionesco, the bald singer. The most recent production was an adaptation of poetic texts for theater. As a rule, the choice of texts lies with the cast and depending on the plays available for a large group of people. We are 15 to 20 actors on stage.