Cinema

Despite the numerous film festivals that have popped up in Lisbon recently, very few – if any at all – have focused on African film and culture. And there is plenty to show from this continent. That’s what “Africa Mostra-se” (AFM) has been doing in the last 2 years, very successfully, I might add.

The third time is a charm and this year’s edition will set out to be a major event in the Lisbon cultural scene. I was there for the last two and guarantee you will enjoy being part of this!

The festival – which was originally conceived as a fundraising activity for ISU, a development NGO – has been showing the Lisbon public the richness and cultural diversity of Africa, giving a positive outlook and avoiding the preconceived ideas that still exist about the continent.

While the focus is on African cinema, AFM offers much more: theater and dance, painting and sculpture exhibitions, photography workshops and contests, cooking classes and debates in different spots around Lisbon. All this for very little and for a good cause, because part of the funds will revert to the Nô Djunta Mon volunteer program.

AFM starts on May 23rd with the documentary “Mionga Ki Ôbo” and the national premiere of the film “Otelo Burning” at the Franco Portuguese Institute and finishes on June 2nd with the Arraial – a lively gathering with African food, music and crafts in A.T.L.A., another great spot in Alfama. 

Check out the full program and their facebook page for details.

This is one of the rare classic cinema theatres still standing in Lisbon these days. And even if it wasn’t one of my favourite cultural spots in the city it was still worth telling you about it.

It was the largest auditorium in the country when it was first built in 1950, with over 1800 seats and remains an impressive space today, although the main room has since then been divided into three smaller rooms.

Cinema São Jorge has held on against the massive wave of cinemas in shopping centres that have sprawled around Lisbon and has become the place for film festivals of all sorts. So, in any given month be sure to find a festival of Spanish, French or Italian films, although the most famous around this time of the year is the Indie Festival (one of my favourites).

But there is more than motion pictures, and you can often find concerts or theatre plays. In any case the place is worth a visit in its own right. The retro look and the low-lit atmosphere make it a nice place for a coffee. I actually like to come here during the day or before sessions when the crowds are yet to come and the place is calm.

They have recently opened a pizzeria upstairs (Pizzaria Baldraca). I hear it’s pretty good and the prices are definitely welcoming.

The bull ring is located in one of the main avenues, near a metro station. The Arab influence can be seen in the oriental-looking domes, the horseshoe shaped doors and the two towers at the main entrance. It looks like you’re back to the “Arabian Nights”, and inside the bull ring there’s a world to explore.

Bull fighting is certainly not my cup of tea, so… besides the “Tourada” what can you expect me to recommend in the red brick ring of Campo Pequeno? Well, first of all, the fantastic Neo-Mudejár – Arab influenced architecture that one can easily admire from the park located nearby. The bull ring of Campo Pequeno was built in 1890 by a Portuguese architect and the design was inspired by the old bull ring of Madrid.

Besides the “Tourada” (Bullfighting), that is seasonal and could happen from time to time, the place is used as stage for concerts and underneath the 10.000 seat arena, there’s a shopping center with cinemas, restaurants and souvenir shops. Try the cinema and don’t worry about your Portuguese… all movies have subtitles as they remain in the original language.

Since 1948, the Portuguese Cinematheque has been working as an institution dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Cinema. Cinemateca is located near the Liberdade Avenue in a 19th century well preserved building in Art Nouveau style with an impressive Neo-Mudejár atrium. It’s a great place to go for a good “night at the movies” and also a pleasant place for a coffee or a snack. Check the open-air terrace and enjoy the museum!

There’s a museum inside the building divided into 3 rooms: The Cupid Room, the Oak Room and the 6×2 Room. Here you’ll find relics that tell the story of Cinema from magic lanterns to Lumiére projectors or other cinematographic objects like film reels, books and photographs.

Enjoy your favorite director’s tribute at the cozy small cinema. Sessions start in the afternoon screening movies from great directors. There are also retrospectives of the most acclaimed film directors and actors. Fortunately, there are some cinemas in Lisbon where one can enjoy true cinema… like in here.

Forget blockbusters for a day and give these guys some credit… There’s the musical and detailed Kubrick with “Shinning” and the satirical black comedy “Dr. Strangelove”, and the king of suspense genre, Hitchcock with “The birds”. You won’t be sorry. And… cut!

And talking about cuts… did you know because of the crisis in Portugal, some movies don’t have subtitles because of all the cuts in “extraordinary expenses”… ?! And there goes culture in Portugal…