AND THE GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM 2017 GOES TO DIOGO COSTA AMARANTE!
Congratulations! The Golden Bear for Best Short Film goes to Diogo Costa Amarante and his film «Cidade Pequena»!
Diogo Costa Amarante was born in Portugal
where he graduated in law before making his directing debut with the
short documentary «Jumate/Jumate» which screened at numerous
international festivals and won several awards. In 2009, Diogo
participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus and directed his second
documentary film «In January, perhaps» which was also selected in many festivals. «The White Roses»,
his first fiction short film, premiered at the 64th Berlin
International Film Festival in the Official Shorts Competition and was
awarded with the European Grand Prix in the Best European Short Film
Festival. In 2016, Diogo finished his Master of Fine Arts at the New
York University/Tisch School of the Arts with his thesis film «Cidade Pequena».
Copyright by Heinrich Völkel
What is your ambition in the film?
One day, my sister told me that
Frederico, my 6-year-old nephew, learned about the human body at school
from a teacher who explained to him that people die when their hearts
stop. That evening, Frederico didn’t sleep. He woke my sister up several
times throughout the night complaining he had a pain in his chest.
Hearing this story, I immediately recalled being his age and receiving a
collection of books for children that happened to include one titled
«Why did grandfather die?». Although the book was very colorful,
populated by warm characters and communicating its educational message
for children with sweet metaphors, I found it absolutely terrifying. I
would hide it in different places, but inevitably weeks later, thinking
of something else, I would bump into that thing again and again, each
time terrified anew. It made me feel like the most melancholic person on
earth. My mother worried I had developed a minor psychological problem,
since she would find me in those moments staring sadly into space. The
emotional parallel I saw in my childhood memories and my nephew’s
experience inspired me to make this film. My first attempt at depicting
this was very literal – including a chronologically written script and
footage shot with my nephew at his school. I then realized what I really
wanted to represent in the film was not a recreation of events but an
expression of the emotions I felt reading that book as a child and the
tenderness I felt hearing the story of my nephew’s similar experience.
Approaching the concept fresh, I began to shoot with a more spontaneous
approach. I went with my sister and nephew back to places that belong to
my childhood memories and filmed with a stream of consciousness
objective, intended to allow more instinctive moments to emerge from the
familiar spaces, landscapes, colors, and sounds. To use montage and
image manipulation to convey that mix of horror and tenderness. To
introduce the absurd and its inherent humor as a sort of resistance
against the otherwise immobilizing fear that can affect us all. If
there’s something that will always be universal, it’s the vulnerability
inherent in the consciousness of our own mortality.
How did you get started in the film business?
I used to be a trainee lawyer in Lisbon
working in an office located nearby the Portuguese Cinemateca. One day,
on my way back to the office, I was given this random flyer promoting a
filmmaking workshop that was being organized by a new film festival I
had never heard of. I was curious and went online to read more about it.
Apparently they were willing to select 10 people to produce a short
film each in 4 days. Potential participants should email them explaining
why they should be one of the final selected. I have no idea what I
wrote or if there were not that much people applying but soon I received
a phone call saying I was one of the ten finalists. It was weird but
exciting at the same time. I took a week off in the office and just went
for the adventure. I arrived to their office and quickly realized that
all the other participants were film students but me. Most of them knew
each other from school and were already scheduling in between them to be
able to crew in each other’s project. I was too shy to ask for help and
so I went out on my own and started to collect images with the mini DV
camera the festival borrowed me. I had no idea how to edit the material
and so I spent all night playing with the software a friend of mine
installed on my computer. The biggest surprise arrived when the
organization of the festival awarded my “short” with a grant to study
documentary filmmaking in Barcelona. I had two weeks to make a decision.
My family and friends were shocked. I don’t even remember to question
what was happening. I just quitted my job, left everything behind and
went to Spain. Once in Spain, my little documentaries took me to the USA
and once in the USA I was accepted into a Master of Fine Arts program
as a Fulbright student. After 10 years jumping around I’m finally back
to Portugal where I’m not sure if we can talk about a film
business/industry.
What are your future plans for 2017?
I was recently funded to develop a first feature script. At the same time I’m preparing to start a PDH.
Film excerpt from »Cidade Pequena»
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