Lisboa, Cinema e Identidade

Abstract

Lisbon is an European city. A capital, which as many others in Europe is loosing its identity. On one hand there are the economical and political world crisis with its deep impacts in all Europe, triggering rivalry and alienation between European Union countries. On the other, globalization phenomenon is fading out western borders, transforming European metropolitan areas, which share increasingly more similarities such as peripheral problems, desertification and city centre "museification". Melting pot concept is becoming widespread and more often there is a mixture between cultures, races, religions and architectures. Developed countries are attraction poles for immigrants from all over the world, searching for a better life. But blending in is often difficult and commonly these communities isolate and create their own microcosm in the host country. This is a common subject in European contemporary cinema that explores interpersonal relationships between communities that share their lives in the same urban space. Nowadays, how can we distinguish between Lisbon and Berlin, Paris, Istanbul or Amsterdam? One possible answer relies on Lisbon cinematic representation and that is the focus of this work. It looks for a contemporary profile of the Portuguese capital city through cinema. Many filmmakers explore their most worrying problems/conflicts that occur in their cities, trying to understand these through a camera. They search for the perfect way to bring urban spaces and their real life intensity to the eyes of the spectator. The city of Lisbon is for many filmmakers a source of inspiration. Interpreting their movies by acknowledging their messages is the way to better know one cinematic city. Initially it's done an historical urban and cinematographic framework, building a solid knowledge basis surrounding last century's most outstanding happenings related to Europe. Then, more specifically, it is done the same regarding Lisbon. After, Lisbon is unfolded into several topics, different sides that help defining one identity. Cinema Novo filmmakers like Paulo Rocha, Fernando Lopes and Fernando Matos-Silva, expose the pre and post revolutionary experiences of a fascist regime in a city divided between the modern and the provincial. João César Monteiro's unique perception demystifies a historic and melancholic city. Alain Tanner and Wim Wenders are foreign filmmakers who help comprehending Lisbon as a touristic city. Teresa Villaverde and Sérgio Tréfaut document the reality of marginalized youth and immigrants who are willing to fit and belong to this city. Marco Martins seeks to understand the city through the everyday urban rites of our era. Pedro Costa looks intimately into a microcosm of drug and misery. At last, João Botelho recreates Fernando Pessoa's perspective of his city transposing it to contemporaneity. The interception of these cinematic realities creates a city that is a Portuguese, European and worldwide capital. This dissertation seeks to reveal a city that can be distinguished from others through an analysis and personal experience. A cogitation, that above all helps to comprehend Lisbon's urban character through its films.