Bloom + A casa, a verdadeira e a seguinte, ainda está por fazer

Bloom, Helena Girón, Samuel M. Delgado. 2023. Spain, 18’.

A popular legend claims that San Borondon, a mysterious island located near the Canaries, keeps appearing and disappearing. The mythical island emerges cyclically from the sea to be later reabsorbed by it, raising the doubt as to whether it ever existed. Its constant movement and instability render San Borondon a utopian island which does not allow itself to be conquered nor inhabited, mapped or studied. It also serves as a reminder of the constant communication between land and sea: the land perpetually resides beneath the sea, poised to emerge, while the sea looms ever-present, posing a constant threat to reclaim the land. In their film, Helena Girón and Samuel M. Delgado, instead of aiming to naturalistically capture the image of San Borondón, are exploring this myth to question the human desire to dominate and conquer nature.

Original version: Spanish / Subtitles: English

A casa, a verdadeira e a seguinte, ainda está por fazer, Sílvia das Fadas. 2018. EUA, Austria, Portugal. 36’. *

Sílvia das Fadas makes a film based on the foundations of a utopian imaginary. Exploring the idea of living in a community, the film goes through five chapters, each one corresponding to a different architectural work. The Ideal Palace (France), built from 1879 by the postman Ferdinand Chaval. The Red House (London) by William Morris, a house built in response to industrialisation and the decline of craftsmanship, which became the first architectural work of the Arts & Crafts group. Eben-Ezer Tower (Belgium) by Robert Graves, a monument built of flint that is in itself a defence of pacifism and humanism. The Tarot Garden (Italy) by Niki de Saint Phalle, a garden of sculptures that interacts with nature and the art of light, inspired by Gaudí's Parc Güell. Stan Ioan Pătraș's Joyful Cemetery with more than 800 multicoloured gravestones and humorous epitaphs that the artist carved and painted during his lifetime in the village of Săpânța (Romania). All these constructions stand against all quietistic ideas, questioning the future of community and the power of art to materialise an idea.  

*Screening in 16 mm, with the presence of the director.

Original version: Portuguesse, English, French y German / Subtitles: Spanish