1755
marked a turning point for Portugal. It was the year of the Great Lisbon Earthquake
as well as Sebastiao de Melo’s appointment as prime minister. Even today, the
administration of the de facto head of state remains controversial. Some liberties
are taken with names and historical events, but the spirit of the era remains
the same in Brazilian director-producer-editor-co-screenwriter Tiago Abubakir
& co-screenwriter-co-producer-co-star Luiz Humberto Campos’s short film The
Great Father, which would be screening on the festival circuit right now, were
it not for Xi’s pandemic.
The
fire and earthquake have shaken Lisbon. However, for Queen Mariana Victoria (originally
a Spanish princess before her marriage to King José I) and her daughter Princess
Maria I, the real emergency is the King’s illness and withdrawal from day-to-day
governance. While the “Great Father” is sick, the “Black Baron” will rule
Portugal—with an iron hand. Of course, the Queen and Princess are more
concerned about their place in the palace than the well-being of their
subjects.
It
is quite amazing how much the teenaged Abubakir achieved on a micro-shoestring
budget, with the collaboration of Campos and their families. It really was
something of a family affair, since Abubakir’s aunt, Ivone Biscaia, plays the
Queen and Campos’s father, Humberto Campos, plays the Black Baron. Everyone
does their part, but frankly the cast is often overshadowed by the film’s
amazing locations, including the Covento do Carmo, an 18th Century
Abbey, and the Museu da Misericordia in Salvador, Bahia.
This
film looks amazing, thanks to the enormously cinematic backdrops and the era-appropriate
costumes Abubakir managed to scrounge from the Teatro Castro Alves performing
arts center (good for them for supporting young student filmmakers). As a
result, Abubakir and company seamlessly recreate old world Lisbon in new world
Salvador.
