Approaching your work as a film critic, you point out as one of the problems of the Portuguese cinema is the scarcity of promotion.
JVM: It's a chronic problem of Portuguese cinema, but now is better, because there are producers who have such concerns. But, usually the film's budgets are too low, they forget the line of promotion, which is essential for reaching the general public.
But this is the basic problem?
JVM: I think there are some stigmas in relation to Portuguese cinema. Some filmmakers have created this idea that the Portuguese film is dull and boring, which is made by an elite. But it is not true, there are a number of films that go unnoticed to the majority of viewers and tend to lack of promotion from the producers and distribution. In fact the lattest are responsible to make them reach the public and in most cases the films remain in the movie theaters for one week only. What I talk about the Portuguese films is that there is little concern about the image and graphics, even the trailers are not always the most appropriate, they should be made by people with expertise in marketing and advertising, are often made by the producer or by the director and are not always the best offer and that draws a lot of attention.
There is also talk that one of the major flaws of Portuguese cinema is little consistency in the scripts of the films, which motivates many of the complaints.
JVM: Some are right, I say that we are a country of poets, we are not a nation of storytellers. I think there are already good scripts, there is even an attempt to create a school of writers, incidentally already exists, mainly on television. There are good stories and contexts to tell them in Portuguese cinema, but this is a stigma that the public has in relation to cinema. We have good literature and sometimes cinema fails to adapt Portuguese novels Portuguese, even more contemporaries.
The new generation of Portuguese filmmakers have sought to express themselves through digital cinema, particularly through short films, they have quality?
JVM: There is so much so that I made a documentary about it called "short generation" that departs from this premise, which is linked to the short film festival in Vila do Conde, who this year celebrated its twenty years of existing. There is a generation of filmmakers that unlike previous head a deep lunged for short films. What happened before is the only film school in the country, the college of theater and cinema in the national conservatory, the finalists did a route that was more conventional. Students finish their courses in different areas and went to work as assistants of the great directors that were already in production and because few Portuguese films were produce, they were a bit stuck and did not develop. I think this generation that are known and recognized internationally as Miguel Gomes, or João Pedro Rodrigues created a nucleus, perhaps now more than a generation. If we talk about João Salavisa we are already addressing other aesthetic and he is ten years younger. Let's say they have created a kind of progression that opened doors to other avenues, including the feature film.
The Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA) is an obstacle to this route?
JVM: No, it is a public institution that distributes funding to the movies.
Yes, but there are many critics within the sector as carriers of the ICA is always the same fund.
JVM: Well, that is a false issue. There is a law of cinema that has its rules. These regulations conform the competition for each of the areas, from short films, documentaries, through the established filmmakers. These decisions depend on a college of jurors who are chosen, they are serious and honest people, who seek to do their job the best they can in terms of what is required of them. The ICA is a necessary evil, there must be someone in a public institution managing those contributions that go to the movies.
The youngest complain more.
JVM: But the young are always the hardest to cast. But there is a competition of feature films to which people can compete without producer of early works. Now, it is evident that there is little money and is not enough for all. Hence, I think, as regards the short films that people have to launch thenselfs to the guerrillas. To make good films you need money, but maybe it's easier than a technical standpoint, there are digital cameras and computers, guerrilla filmmaking. You must throw yourself forward, the more they make more doors open, there are more film festivals, there are more windows to display their work.
The problam of national cinema passes by being subsidized?
JVM: I do not think we have neither market, or industry. I think the cinema and audiovisual in Portugal can be a profitable as any other, because it is a creative industry, not only from the point of view of development, and revenue, but at the level of gross domestic product as the economists say. I think it's a false argument to say that to have the true Portuguese cinema, it must necessarily be supported, because we have no market. There is a limit in terms of box office in the country and the Portuguese in terms of the world, including Brazil, because Portuguese movies are not understood there must be subtitle. The African countries, former colonies, on the other hand, has other priorities that do not pass through the arts and so we continued to live in a limited market, any film that is made assuming that the films has its own production and a budget in best or worst cenarios cost around 500 thousand euros at least, it is impossible to do with less money. Cinema is a collective art that have many people to pay, but you can do things with the current digital media, smaller projects, more experimental, it is necessary to take risks and move forward. You need to turn around the crisis.
In relation to your activity as a film critic is an endangered profession?
JVM: As also journalism, I say this, but I'm kidding. Actually I think we are looking for new paths and new ways. I consider myself a producer of content ranging from writing to the audiovisual. I make documentaries for RTP, as did the "short generation" and then consider it work as a journalist. Now, you have to be on many different platforms as I like to call it, paper or digital, or computer and what may come.
Journalism died then?
JVM: No, maybe journalism of its more conventional form will cease to exist. You will get another profession that is this, producer of content. But I always say that in terms of professional careers is like being a doctor, you're a journalist for life.
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