This was a feature that was not understood by the public?
MM: There was not a great success in terms of viewers, I know that did not exceed the five thousand viewers, I think, it did not reach many people, but luckily I cannot complain in comparison with other films. He brought me a satisfaction that was beyond the public, a satisfactory reaction by many well known people. In this aspect was very positive.
But do you think this aspect is related with the little promotion of Portuguese films, or even a certain bias on the behalf of the Portuguese in relation to their own domestic production?
MM: I think among other things too, but these in particular, in terms of promotion, whether that prejudiced side of the Portuguese public in relation to national cinema obviously affects much of the dialogue between both parties. Some even have good campaigns that allow movies to another dimension and there, in my case, although the distribution of the film was made by Lusomundo had few copies and also maybe was not the best time of year for debut and maybe there are conditions that we as filmmakers are unable to negotiate better. And do not even speak of the issue of prejudice, that it is more difficult to solve, although the current film directors already has another more combative position, so that their films are seen by more people.
In that role you feel more comfortable as a director on a feature films or documentaries?
MM: At ease I feel in the two, in fiction there's the build of a story, the writing of a script, choose and find the decors and especially the work of the actors. In the documentaries there is a weightless, some unexpected and furthermore this type of recording film only takes shape in the editing room. This aspect is very fascinating, because in the film there are many things that appear that we do not control unlike a feature film that is more rigid and linear.
Addressing a broader range, you think there's a future for feature films in Portugal?
MM: I'd like to think and hope to continue to believe that there is a future. At least there's a side to me that is very satisfying to me the glow of directors of my age or older than me who still believe in national cinema, in addition to the emergence of new filmmakers who brought to Portuguese cinema a new momentum and I am delighted with other exterior visibility that is happening with filmmakers like Miguel Gomes, João Pedro Rodrigues, João Salaviza and many others. What is happening in our reality and has already committed much of this hope, is this non-political film that we have reached, where there is no production, although there is resistance and that all makes possible the production of projects in Portugal.
Right now do you have some project in the pipeline?
MM: I have a project of a documentary and a short film. I'm ready to make a feature film for a competition when there is one. Ideas do not fail me, let's see if I can bring it to life that is not yet know.
