The documentary focuses on the testimonies of those who live in Paredes de Coura, as well as those who emigrated and return every year to their homeland.
It contrasts memories of a bygone world with the challenges of the present and future, recounting—through the voices of its protagonists—new experiences in agriculture, industry, nature tourism, and education.
The end of a world?
In recent decades, this territory has been deeply marked by changes in agriculture and emigration, experiencing “a very rapid transformative dynamic.”
The arrival of machinery brought with it the end of mutual labor exchange in the fields. Today, corn rarely becomes bread. It feeds animals instead.
“End of a World?” presents various perspectives on the past and present, through firsthand accounts of emerging practices in agriculture, industry, ecological tourism, and education.
It outlines future paths for a land that is much more than the rock festival that made it famous throughout Portugal and beyond.
EXIBITION FINGERPRINT IN THE LAND OF COURA
This film was produced and directed as part of the audiovisual component of the exhibition Digital print in Terras de Coura, of which it is a part.
Promoted by the Municipality of Paredes de Coura, the exhibition is on display at the local Regional Museum and is curated by Cláudia Freire, who is also the author of the documentary.
FILMING PROCESS
The decision to make a documentary using materials gathered during the project was only made in the post-production phase of the audiovisuals for the exhibition.
Paredes de Coura is a diverse territory—small in size but rich in natural and human potential. From the start, the challenges were immense and inspiring.
Research and development for the exhibition happened in parallel. Our shared ambition with the project’s promoters to go further and do better led us to take that risk. Both the exhibition and the documentary benefited from this constant drive. We went further than we expected.
Through this process, a collective character emerged for both the exhibition and the documentary.
The core idea conceived by Cláudia Freire was clear and powerful: “Everyone leaves a mark on the land they live in or pass through. That mark is their fingerprint.”
AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY IN CAPE VERDE
Beyond its role in the exhibition, the documentary forged its own path and was awarded Best Short Documentary at the Plateau International Film Festival (Praia, Cape Verde) in 2016.
