So what do you think should be improved?
TM: You can improve everything. The essential thing is to keep things moving forward and to walk it thru, slowly, but not as fast as they should.
Do you think that the exclusive contracts are part of the problem?
TM: I think its automatic, when a company has an actor or an actress, that is, has the satisfaction to find a talent, naturally wants to reserve it for it
So you think it is worthwhile?
TM: I do not know if it is advantageous, as I say that is understandable. For example, if you tomorrow became a great author, it is natural that a television station that had great success with you wishes to preserve it for another year.
Let's talk about soap operas, I know that a future premieres, is violet.
TM: I have one that ultimately is not going to call violet, but fate and will be recorded in January. TVI has asked me to make changes that caused this delay.7
One criticism is that when it comes to arguments for soap operas is that they are not paid taking into account the success in terms of audiences. Are you in favor of an association to defend the rights of screenwriters?
TM: I think so, there also should be a differentiation between a particularly well succeed or not, those who have more audiences should be evaluated.
One of the major flaws highlighted in terms of scripts, for series or film are the texts themselves, do you share this idea?
TM: It's the biggest fault of the Portuguese cinema. We have good actors, directors, decors and landscape. In my opinion are the scripts. The film are very complicated, it is problematic to write a script in our country.
In what sense is it so complicated?
TM: It takes some practice to write this kind of texts. The handling is a very technical subject, contrary to what people may think.
So what is missing is simplicity? Debug text is that?
TM: It's all that. I had a teacher in the U.S. who one day asked the students: an actor walks on the street, you need to know the time and you need to ask someone how would you describe that scene? Everyone said at the time, things like, sorry, can you tell me the time? Or, what time is it? He replied only: and what about, sorry? We were a bit amazed with that question, who asks about the hours doesn't apologize. The teacher later explained. And what if he points to the watch and say sorry? What does this mean? That the screenwriter has to rely on the representation of the actor, with his interpretation to convey a feeling, an attitude and give voice to the character. The scripts generally do not address this aspect. It is the main failure of the Portuguese cinema.
So no one shares the view of critics from the NY Times proclaimed the Portuguese cinema as one of the most innovative in Europe?
TM: I think it has to improve a lot. It needs investment, particularly for technique and to find the real values of art. The establishment of actors and directors must be honest and sincere and that way we can find a solution for sure.
