synopsis

Young and romantic Ema, a woman of menacing beauty, is stuck in a loveless marriage with her father’s friend Carlos. Her taste for luxury, her illusions in life, her provocative spirit and the desire she inspires in men earned her the nickname “the little Bovary”. In constant search for passion, she takes three lovers; but her successive loves bring her no more than a feeling of great disillusion.

Original title: Vale Abraão Countries: Portugal, France, Switzerland Year: 1993, Restored in 2023 Ratio: 1,37:1 Sound: 5.1 Length: 203 min Language: Portuguese

Digitized and restored by Cinemateca Portuguesa – Museu do Cinema. Grading by Cinemateca and image restored by Irma Lucia Efeitos Especiais in 2016. Grading revised in 2023. Sound restored by Billy Boom in 2023.

BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1908 in Porto, Manoel de Oliveira made films until his death in 2015 at the age of 106. He made his first silent film in 1931 and his first talking one in 1942. From the 1970s onwards, he established himself as Portugal's greatest filmmaker. Oliveira is known for his richly meditative and often self-reflexive films, frequently inspired by literary and theatrical works.

FILMOGRAPHY (features)

Gebo and the Shadow - 2012

The Strange Case of Angelica - 2010

Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl - 2009

Christopher Columbus, the Enigma - 2008

Belle Toujours - 2006

Magic Mirror - 2005

The Fifth Empire - 2004

A Talking Picture - 2003

The Uncertainty Principle - 2002

I’m Going Home - 2001

Porto of My Childhood - 2001

World and Utopia - 2000

The Letter - 1999

Anxiety - 1998

Voyage to the Beginning of the World - 1997

Party - 1996

The Convent - 1995

Blind Man’s Bluff - 1994

Abraham's Valley - 1993

Day of Despair - 1992

The Divine Comedy - 1991

No, or the Vain Glory of Command - 1990

The Cannibals - 1988

My Case - 1986

The Satin Slipper - 1985

Visit or Memories and Confessions - 1982

Francisca - 1981

Doomed Love - 1979

Benilde or the Virgin Mother - 1975

Past and Present - 1972

Rite of Spring - 1963

Aniki Bóbó - 1942

CREW

Director and Screenwriter: Manoel de Oliveira DOP: Mário Barroso Editors: Manoel de Oliveira, Valérie Loiseleux Production Designer: Maria José Branco Costume Design: Isabel Branco Sound: Henri Maikoff, Christophe Winding Casting Director: Agnés Fierobe Producer: Paulo Branco Production: Madragoa Filmes (Portugal), Gemini Films (France), Light Night (Switzerland) World Sales: Luxbox

CAST

Leonor Silveira, Luís Miguel Cintra, Cécile Sanz de Alba, Rui de Carvalho, Glória de Matos, Luís Lima Barreto, João Perry, Diogo Dória, Isabel Ruth, Laura Soveral, António Reis

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

Cannes Film Festival - Directors’ Fortnight - 1993

Telluride Film Festival - 1993

Toronto International Film Festival - 1993

Tokyo International Film Festival - Best Artistic Contribution Award - 1993

New York Film Festival - 1993

São Paulo International Film Festival - Critics Award – 1993

International Film Festival Rotterdam - 1994

San Francisco International Film Festival - 1994

Viennale - 2015                                                                                                        

Cannes Film Festival - Directors’ Fortnight - Special Screening - 2023

New York Film Festival - Revivals - 2023

São Paulo International Film Festival - Special Screening - 2023

MANOEL DE OLIVEIRA

Writer-Director