The Lebanese documentary Moondove, by Karim Kassem. fit with surprising harmony into the landscape and experiences of the people in Melgaço during the festival. The film was a highlight in a program that foregrounded themes such as memory, home, and migration.
The ringing of a mobile phone, signalling trouble; a snorting car with doors painted in different colours struggling through the landscape; a sunbeam shining through a curtain: these are the reference points in this seemingly loosely assembled collection of everyday observations. Yet in Moondove, nothing is arbitrary. The captured moments do not feel staged, either. They evoke a gentle summer breeze that envelops the viewer lovingly, with a butterfly fluttering here and there.
The phone belongs to an employee of the local waterworks. It hasn’t rained for a long time, so water reserves are low, leading to supply disruptions. The middle-aged man patiently tries to resolve them, one after another. It requires patience, with others, with daily life, and with oneself.
This is the lesson of a film that stood out as a singularity in this year’s documentary film festival in Melgaço, Portugal. It was not the only entry blurring the boundaries between documentary and fiction, but its sensitive, unobtrusive style set it apart from the others.
It is remarkable how well Moondove resonated with the landscape and the people who watched it thousands of kilometres from its filming location. Melgaço itself is a quiet, small town with warm-hearted residents. At temperatures around 40°C, and with wildfires in view, the theme of water also plays an important role here. The region thrives on it, and its people are proud of its wine production and its own healing spring. Like the community in Melgaço, the people depicted in Moondove exude calm. These are the conditions, and the film makes the most of them.
For Melgaço, this meant a festival with a dense and ambitious international programme. Every screening was well attended. Discussions emerged, and the predominantly local audience showed great interest. This year’s edition was no lightweight affair; themes like war, memory, and home were central.
These themes were certainly not chosen at random, given what is happening in the world. But they also resonate with this area near the Spanish border, deep inland, surrounded by forests and relatively remote. The people here have a history and present shaped by migration: 80% of the population spends most of the year abroad, mostly in France and Switzerland. The stories in these films speak to them as well. Cinema impressively demonstrates how experiences and emotions can be shared across generations and nations.
by Teresa Vena
Edited by José Teodoro
Copyright FIPRESCI