Film based on Portuguese novel to be screened at UMass Dartmouth

DARTMOUTH – UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture and the Department of Portuguese will host April 23 the first East Coast screening of the film ‘O Vento Assobiando nas Gruas’ (The Fortunate Ones), based on a novel by the same title by Portuguese writer Lídia Jorge.

Jeanne Waltz, the film’s director, will be on hand to present the movie and take part in a Q & A session.

“This is a beautiful adaptation of a poignant story,” said Paula Noversa, the Director of the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture. “I am looking forward to viewing the film. It is my sincere hope that many in the community will avail themselves of this wonderful opportunity to both view the film and discuss its creation with the film’s director.”

According to the movie synopsis, the story revolves around Milene (played by Rita Cabaço) and her investigation after her grandmother is found dead near her old factory in 1992.

On the grounds of the abandoned factory, Milene finds the Mata family, a Cape Verdean family to whom Milene’s grandfather had entrusted the building. There Milene meets Antonino, a widowed construction worker. He and his family welcome Milene with caution, kindness, and music. She falls in love. When Milene’s family returns, they are outraged.

“I cherish long stories, the ones that give us time to enter their world and refuse to easily hand out the key to their main characters, who take unconventional paths,” said the film director in a prepared statement.

“From grief to joy, from amazement to loss and from fear to boldness, my film tells the story of Milene’s blossoming love – a love that will transform her and give her independence but that will also cost her a lot – while drawing the portrait of two families, one white and the other black, in the Algarve from the housing boom of the 1990s,” added Waltz, who was born in Switzerland but lives in Portugal since 1989.

The film will be presented in Portuguese with English subtitles. The screening will take place at 6 p.m. in room 153 of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the Dartmouth campus.

Light refreshments will be served starting at 5:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Guests should use Parking Lot #6.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Film based on Portuguese novel to be screened at UMass Dartmouth