ONCE UPON A TIME IN GOA: IDENTITY AND MEMORIES FILM PROGRAMME CURATED BY MARIA DO CARMO PIÇARRA
18.02~03.03.2020 | FUNDAÇÃO ORIENTE, PANJIM | 6PM Between the 18th February and 3rd of March 2020, Fundação Oriente in Goa will present a film programme titled ONCE UPON A TIME IN GOA: IDENTITY AND MEMORIES curated by the Portuguese researcher Maria do Carmo Piçarra. Divided in five sessions, the films and documentaries present the different perspectives of Goan and Portuguese directors regarding the complexity of Goan identity and culture. The programme will start with silent films from the Portuguese public archives (RTP – Portuguese Public Broadcast, CAVE – Portuguese Army Audio-visual Centre, MNHNCP – Natural History and Science Museum, Portugal /University of Lisbon). These films will be presented with comments from Dr Maria do Carmo Piçarra (Lisbon University) and Dr Pedro Sobral Pombo (Goa University). In contrast with the political and scientific propaganda films produced during Estado Novo (1932-68), we will exhibit recent films by Portuguese directors dealing with Goa. Under the umbrella of ONCE UPON A TIME IN GOA: IDENTITY AND MEMORIES we will also present contemporary Goan films that express personal perceptions and at the same time attest the singularity of Goan Identity and the extreme care to document recent cultural and ecological changes in the territory. All films will be commented or subtitled in English. FILM PROGRAMME 18TH FEBRUARY Goa in the Portuguese Archives In collaboration with the project Photo Impulse/ICNOVA-FCSH and MNHNCP SECURITY OPERATION IN ESTADO DA ÍNDIA [OPERAÇÃO DE SEGURANÇA NO ESTADO DA INDIA] (1955, 11’, silent), CAVE - Portuguese Army Audio-visual Centre >From the Archives of the Portuguese National Broadcast (RTP) MONSOON RAINS IN GOA [CHUVAS DE MONÇÃO EM GOA] (9’, silent) PORTUGUESE TROOPS CHRISTMAS IN PANJIM [NATAL DOS SOLDADOS PORTUGUESES EM PANGIM] (3’, silent) MANUEL VASSALO E SILVA HONOURED IN INDIA [MANUEL VASSALO E SILVA É DISTINGUIDO NA ÍNDIA ](1’, silent) REFUGEES ARRIVING IN LISBON [CHEGADA DE REFUGIADOS A LISBOA] (3’, silent) HONOUR TO PORTUGUESE INDIA [HONRA Á ÍNDIA PORTUGUESA] (1961, 19’, silent), by Perdigão Queiroga ÍNDIA (1959, 13’ silent), by Vasco Nunes Pereira Fortuna *commented by Maria do Carmo Piçarra and Pedro Sobral Pombo The cinematographic programme about Goa starts with the exhibition of short films from the Portuguese public archives. “Operação de segurança no Estado da Índia” [Security Operation no Estado da Índia] (1952), shows the Estado Novo version of the events that took place at the Goan border and gave way to a tension rise between the Portuguese Regime and the Indian Government. During the same session, a series of short films from the RTP - Portuguese Public Broadcaster archives will also be screened. “Honra à Índia Portuguesa” [Honour to Portuguese India] (1961), by Perdigão Queiroga, is part of Images from Portugal, a special edition sponsored by the former National Department of Information to invoke the history behind the friction with Questão de Goa. To conclude this session, we will be screening “Índia” (1959) a scientific film by Vasco Nunes Pereira Fortuna, with interesting anthropologic details regarding Goa’s culture and landscape. 20TH FEBRUARY THE LADY OF CHANDOR [A DAMA DE CHANDOR] (1998, 93’, Portuguese and Konkani, subtitled in English) by Catarina Mourão Newly restored copy supported by Fundação Oriente. “Aida, the Lady of Chandor, lives alone in Goa. At 82 years of age she devotes each day to caring for her beautiful old house, a house which has survived three centuries of Portuguese colonial rule. Without the Lady of Chandor the house will die. Without the house Aida would loose her reason for living. But inside this house time moves in a magical way and both the house and the Lady of Chandor seem immortal”. 25TH FEBRUARY SCARS (2017, 17’’, English), de Ronak Kamat UNCERTAIN HOMELAND [PÁTRIA INCERTA] (2005, 52’, Portuguese and Konkani, subtitled in English), by Inês Gonçalves and Vasco Pimentel On the 25th of February, the session will begging with fiction short film by Ronak Kamat “Scars”, about a boy that, after being released from Juvenile Detention Centre, has to spend the night at his elder brother's house. After which “Pátria Incerta” [Uncertain Homeland] (2005), by Inês Gonçalves and Vasco Pimentel will be exhibit. This documentary focus reflects on the scars left by conversion to Catholicism based on local testimonies. 27TH FEBRUARY INFINITE [DIGANT] (2012, 96’, Konkani, subtitled in English), by Dnyanesh Moghe *In the presence of the director. “Digant” [Infinite] is a 2012 Konkani feature film by documentary filmmaker, Dnyanesh Moghe. It takes us on the journey of a homeless boy from Dhangar tribe, a neglected and backward shepherd community of Goa, who defying all odds, grows up to become an architect in the big city. ‘This community believes in nature. They are always a tuned to nature. They wander around in the woods with the sheep flock. This community is just a backdrop. The film attempts to challenge the much believed notion of stability and freedom in life’ says Dnyanesh Moghe”. 3RD MARCH BREAD AND BELONGING (2019, 50’, English and Konkani, subtitled in English), by Sonia Filinto *in the presence of the director and the producer Nalini Elvino de Sousa. This programme concludes on the 3rd of March, with the presentation of the new film by Sonia Filinto “Bread and belonging” (2019). “In India’s smallest state, Goa, are two bakeries. They are as similar as they are different. Alzira’s family has been baking bread for generations. They might be ‘insiders’ but are challenged to find local Goan workers in this labour intensive trade. The survival of the bakery thus depends on the daily toil of family members. Not far away is another bakery run entirely by ‘outsiders’. Kiran and his co-workers set out daily at the crack of dawn, cycling for miles to deliver bread. Displaying the tenacity of migrants, they adapt to a new trade, new language and even new diet. While the two bakeries labour on, a returning migrant, Marius, is on a mission. Marius’ family is originally from Goa and he has set himself the task of reclaiming bread of the past. He hits the streets determined to achieve his goal. Goa’s bread, pão, successfully made the journey from ‘outsider' to ‘insider'. Pão was first introduced in Goa when it was under Portuguese rule for over half a millennium. Now traditional bakers are leaving the trade even as nostalgia for this unique bread grows and a new set of bakers from across the state border fill in. In Bread and Belonging unfold stories of people dealing with migration, changing culture and the ever present need to earn a living.” -