Francisco Manuel Sousa is a young filmmaker with a short curriculum that marks the difference already, by his ironic, witty and very creative look visible in his short films. A name to be retained in terms of national cinema.
When did you discover you wanted to make movies and become a director?
Francisco Manuel Sousa: When I was little I wanted to pursue architecture, always had a passion for art, but when I got to school and started doing work very close to this area I realized that it was not what I wanted for my future. At that time, I began at the advice of my parents to watch author films, European films and I realized that this was what I wanted to do, I wanted to tell stories. I thought it was an interesting world in which I wanted to enter.
There's a particular film or filmmaker that prompted this change?
FMS: There were several, when I saw the "Blow-up" of Michelangelo Antonioni, the "Buffalo 66" of Vincent Gallo, these were the films that influenced me, I identified with the language, I understood it and wanted to develop through mine stories.
Let's talk now of your film projects, from your earlier short film, the "last supper" is very unique, the aim was to shock, or not?
FMS: No (laughs). It was an exercise for picture and sound at the university and had some very specific rules as to the type of sound and lighting. We could have done it without a narrative, or without dialogues, scenes could have been disconnected as long we respected these rules, but decided it was more interesting to tell a story, we joined one night and began to pitch some ideas that didn't seemed that crazy at the time, was not with the intention to shock, it was just a way to make exercise, have a narrative and have fun.
How did the idea of "last days" arise?
FMS: The idea came even before entering the university. When I reached the end I had to present a project that would give me the course grade and I remembered this idea, I saw that it was good to develop with things I had learned, I had seen movies in UBI (University of Beira Interior) and done papers over the director Michael Haneke and saw that he had a language that was linked that story, then I rethink it over again, what paths I could follow. I do not remember where the idea came, perhaps with "Elephant" by Gus Van Sant, or movies that had to do with teenage depression and violent tendencies.
How did you do the casting for the lead actress?
FMS: We made two castings one in Castelo Branco and another where I live in Covilha. In schools with students of the age of the character, the very first to appeared was Joana, and I cannot explain well, but she did very well the casting. We were surprised. She is part of a group of amateur theater, so had some experience in terms of representation. In Covilha, for example, girls who appear not had any experience in amateur theater. Then Joana as I said, surprised us, because physically was what we wanted and then she managed to capture the character, then we had a few rehearsals to get more violent in several ways, but she always managed everything in a very natural way and evolved well without many problems.
Were you surprised with the success of "last days" to be selected for various festivals and have collected a few awards along that route?
FMS: It did not surprise me. I sent the film to festivals with the hope that it was selected, but also sent it to many others where it was not selected. Made me very happy that it was seen from north to south and even in the Azores. I was more surprised at the reaction of people when I put the movie on the Internet; I have had a very positive feedback from strangers.
But it didn't have any subtitles.
FMS: Because it received comments from some Brazilian and I did not think a story quite cold could be very appealing to them.
Were you surprised, because usually they do not understand our Portuguese?
FMS: Yeah that too, because our Portuguese was different.
Tell me about the "Cool" and how this project surfaces in your short journey as a filmmaker.
FMS: The "cool" came as a succession of serendipity. At the time I finished the course, I had no job, and no project to develop and two friends who were also finalists at another school in White Castle asked for my help to develop a concept. We went to see stories; we had several meetings to develop ideas for a movie without many means, nor actors, because if in Covilha it had been difficult and had some support in Castelo Branco we did not have any support. We then discover a book of short stories by a local author, who was very cinematic, about action heroes and it was a matter of talking to the writer for authorization, then we need to create a script and at the beginning I only wanted to help, but soon after I was involved in a project that was not mine, I wrote it, produced it and directed and that was "cool."
Both in "cool" as in "the last days" there are excellent Portuguese actors, how could you convince them to embark on these adventures?
FMS: Most of them are very willing to help those getting started. What is perhaps more difficult to get the contacts, but I had that job easier because I could have them through my teachers from UBI. After contacted the actors, as long they do not have a work in hand, they are very affordable, even when they do not receive any kind of cachet. Sometimes it's a matter of searching and talking to people, explaining what it is the project about and its constraints. Most eventually accepted.
Fresh out of college how do you see the national scene for young filmmakers like you?
FMS: It's hard; it is all about taking risk with little things and tries to show these works in some festivals. To obtain a loan you must be connected to a producer. Once you get up there with a script you need to convince them to present it as a film and that is something for which we are not prepare, (I speak for myself), at the university. It's a much closed world; they do not even make castings for technicians. What remains is to do independent works and appear at festivals. It is always good to go creating our name, but it's hard to do it professionally.
But there is an institution linked to the filmmaking, the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA) it helps in your case or it is completely indifferent?
FMS: It is completely indifferent to me, because to obtain some support from this institution we must have some experience at the professional level, if they do not help me get it ends up being indifferent. Overall in terms of cinema I also think the money you have available to support is too little, over five feature nationals films, I think we need to do something else.
The only "escape" for young people like you is making short films.
FMS: Yes little shorts, small efforts that help create a resume, a portfolio. Currently, there is a new producer in Covilha that are trying to get some support from the ICA; I'm writing a script that I want to see if I can submit something. But, yes I think that is the way, because we can't just stop and doing films however smalls is better, because we learned something while we showed our own work.
http://vimeo.com/franciscomanuelsousa
Como é que fizestes o casting para a actriz principal?
FMS: Fizemos dois castings um em Castelo Branco onde vivo e outro na Covilhã. Foram em escolas com alunas da idade da personagem, logo na primeira apareceu a Joana, e não sei bem explicar, mas ela fez muito bem o casting. Ficámos surpreendidos. Ela faz parte de um grupo amador de teatro, por isso, já tinha alguma experiência em termos de representação. Na Covilhã, por exemplo, as raparigas que aparecerem não tinham qualquer experiência em termos de teatro amador. A joana como disse, surpreende-nos logo, para já, porque fisicamente era o que queríamos e depois ela conseguiu captar a personagem, depois teve uns ensaios para entrar nos seus caminhos mais violentos, mas sempre conseguiu tudo de uma maneira muito natural e evoluiu bem sem muitos problemas.
Surpreendeu-te o sucesso de “últimos dias” ao ser selecionado para vários festivais e ter colhido alguns prémios ao longo desse percurso?
FMS: Surpreender não me surpreendeu. Eu enviei os filmes para os festivais com a esperança que fossem selecionados, mas também enviei para muitos outros onde não foi selecionado. Deixou-me muito feliz que tivesse passado de norte a sul do país e até nos Açores. Mais surpreendido fiquei com a reação das pessoas quando coloquei o filme na internet, tenho tido um feedback bastante positivo de estrangeiros.
Mas nem sequer tinha legendas.
FMS: Pelo facto de ter recebido comentários de alguns brasileiros e não pensei que uma história bastante fria lhes fosse apelativa.
Ficaste admirado, porque por norma não perceberem o nosso português?
FMS: Sim isso também, porque o português era diferente.
Fala-me do “Cool” e como surge neste teu curto trajecto como cineasta.
FMS: O “cool” surgiu de um suceder de acasos felizes. Na altura tinha acabado o curso, não tinha trabalho, nem nenhum projecto para desenvolver e dois amigos que eram finalistas de outra escola também em Castelo Branco pediram-me ajuda para desenvolver um conceito. Andámos a ver histórias, tivemos várias reuniões para desenvolver ideias para um filme sem muitos meios, nem actores, porque se na Covilhã tinha sido difícil e havia algum apoio, em Castelo Branco não tínhamos apoio nenhum. Descobrimos então um livro de contos de um autor local, que era muito cinematográfico, sobre heróis de acção e foi uma questão de falar com o escritor para obter a autorização, depois foi criar um guião e ao princípio eu que só os queria ajudar, vi-me envolvido num projecto que não era meu, que escrevi, realizei e produzi que era o “cool”.
Tanto em “cool” como em “últimos dias” há actores consagrados do panorama português, como é que consegues que eles embarquem nestas tuas aventuras?
FMS: A maior parte deles estão muito dispostos a ajudar quem esta a começar. O mais difícil talvez é o obter os contactos, mas eu tive esse trabalho facilitado, porque os consegui através dos meus professores da UBI. Depois de contactados os actores, desde que não tenham nenhum trabalho em mão, são muito acessíveis, mesmo quando não recebem qualquer tipo de cachet. Às vezes é uma questão de procurar e falar com as pessoas, explicar de que se trata o projecto e suas condicionantes. A maior parte acaba por aceitar.
Acabado de sair da universidade como vês o panorama nacional para jovens cineastas como tu?
FMS: É difícil, é preciso arriscar com pouco material e tentar mostrar esses trabalhos em alguns festivais. Para obter um financiamento é preciso estar ligado a uma produtora. Depois de chegar até lá com um guião é preciso convence-los para apresenta-lo como um filme deles e isso é algo para o que não nos preparam, (falo por mim), na universidade. É um mundo muito fechado, nem sequer fazem castings para técnicos. O que resta é fazer trabalhos independentes e aparecer em festivais. É sempre bom ir criando o nosso nome, mas é difícil faze-lo profissionalmente.
E haver uma instituição ligada ao cinema, o instituto de cinema e audiovisual (ICA) ajuda ou no teu caso é completamente indiferente?
FMS: É-me completamente indiferente, porque para conseguir obter dessa instituição algum apoio é preciso ter alguma experiência ao nível profissional, ora se não me ajudam obtê-la acaba por ser indiferente. No geral em termos de cinema acho que também o dinheiro que tem disponível para apoiar é muito pouco, pouco mais de cinco longa-metragens nacionais, acho que é preciso fazer algo mais.
A única saída para jovens como tu é fazer curtas-metragens.
FMS: Sim pequenas curtas, pequenas participações que ajudam a criarmos um curriculum, um portfólio. Actualmente, há uma nova produtora na Covilhã que esta a tentar obter apoios do ICA, estou a escrever um guião que pretendo submeter para ver se consigo alguma coisa. Mas, sim acho que passa por aí, por não estarmos parados e fazer trabalhos por mais pequenos que sejam, porque aprendemos e ao mesmo tempo mostrámos qualquer coisa nossa.
http://vimeo.com/franciscomanuelsousa
