Paulo Portugal FIPRESCI Jury Member

What do you notice the most when you are watching a film ? It could be commonplace to say, but for me it’s all about the emotion. A good film must strike you in an unexpected way. Usually, when I go to see a film I don’t want to know anything about it because that makes the whole experience much more rewarding, you can make a real discovery. That is what movies are all about : the capacity of embrace someone else’s emotion and be a part of it. A good film is never obvious about its intentions.

How do you think the FIPRESCI award affect young filmmakers ? I have no doubts about it : on many levels, it is a big deal for a filmmaker to recieve the FIPRESCI award. Perhaps the award would affect the distribution of the film. Many people visit our website to look for new names and films. It is important to know what film critics think about a particular film. So, the FIPRESCI award is different from other festival awards : it has to do with the acceptance of people who see films as a job.

As a FIPRESCI jury, this is your first time in a Latin American film festival. What captivates you the most about the Rio Film Festival ? It is a great experience to be in Rio. Not only because I am very close to Brazilian culture, being portuguese. It is also because Brazil is an inmense country, almost a continent. This country has so many worlds, very different from each other. And there are a lot of people in the film industry. In that sense, Brazil and all of Latin America have a richness that we wouldn’t be able to find in other continents. Latin America is probably the most fertile region in terms of filmmaking. So, here in Rio, I want to be surprised in every possible way that I can. I want to discover Latin American cinema and learn from it.

How does the jury reach a final decision ? Is it hard to agree ? I think that discussing about films is one of the most enjoyable things for a film critic. You have a subjective point of view that comes out of your own background. Sometimes, it could be impossible to find unanimity, especially when there are many jury members. Other times, the decision is made in a very peaceful way. But I think that any decision should focus on discussing the essence of the films.

Mary Carmen Molina