Cinema
The Song of the Earth
A Canção da Terra
Jorge Brum do Canto · 1938
Synopsis
Porto Santo, near Madeira. It does not rain on the island, and the drought makes life painful. Gonçalves, a peasant, holds on thanks to Bastiana's love. João Venâncio, a wealthy landowner, has a spring on his land, refuses to share his water with the people in distress and seeks to win the young woman's heart. Resignation, anguish, passion and hatred rise with the thirst.
Context
The film was shot on Porto Santo in July and August 1936, with islanders as extras, and was released only on 29 March 1938, at the São Luiz and the Condes, the production having met with all kinds of difficulties. Its author wrote the screenplay and edited it with Peter Mayerowitz; in place of flowering Madeira, he showed an arid land, short of water. The critics praised the editing and the power of the images. The Portuguese Cinematheque has digitised it as part of the FILMar project.
Who it is for
A black and white feature film, in Portuguese; the drought of the island and its arid landscape take up as much space in it as the characters.
Prizes and reception
The first feature film by its director; José Régio regarded it in 1939 as the most serious of Portuguese films, and it keeps a place apart for its modernity.
Sources for this page 12
The pages consulted to check this page.