Joaquim de Almeida is one of the most international actors of the Portuguese panorama. He has a diverse career that allowed him to participate in all kinds of film projects in and out of Portugal and is now promoting a new French film a "golden cage" about the Portuguese community.
Let's talk of Portuguese cinema, having participated in several movies; you think there has been an evolution in terms of national cinematography?
Joaquim de Almeida: I do not remember which of my last projects were in Portugal. Portuguese cinema unfortunately does not have money. We have new filmmakers who are working very well, unfortunately this year the Ministry of Culture did not give hardly anything to the movies, now we see that some money was allocated. I like a lot of Portuguese cinema, but people have not offered me roles. I now have a movie coming out in France, the "golden cage", is about the Portuguese community in Paris. It's a film that will debut August 1st in Portugal, premiered in Paris, which I was advertising and had a very good reaction. Unfortunately Portuguese cinema is in bad hands and I doubt that there is some money to be made. I think we have great filmmakers who film differently and his is to be commended.
You can name any of these young filmmakers who you appreciate?
JA: I'd rather not say names because I do not want to favor one over others and they are so few. There are also two types of Portuguese cinema, one that I like and others I do not. Portuguese cinema is at a delicate stage, but Tabu, for example, is one of the films that has earned great prominence outside, Miguel Gomes, the director, has a lot of talent. There are others who are more directed to Portuguese cinema.
The so-called commercial films?
JA: No, I have nothing against commercial films. I think it's a fantastic style; the cinematography does not work without this global gender. In France, the film has the right production to the right public and they can make auteur cinema. We have no money to do so if the Portuguese will not see the Portuguese cinema in the movie theater, then who is going to see it?
But, you said earlier that there were two kinds of cinema.
JA: The commercial and author. Tabu is author and is good Portuguese cinema. There are many who are very Oliveira, or João Botelho who I'm not a big supporter. In France there is room for all kinds of cinema, which is I think it should be in our country. Except that we are not a rich country to have money to develop films. The Portuguese directors have a duty to show to Portuguese cinema to the Portuguese. The film I just did in France we can call it commercial and will have large audiences. In Portugal we have to look at the culture, because whenever there is crisis the culture suffers and is not fair. People who live from it must also continue to work. We've noticed that they suffer greatly in the theaters with subsidies by half, or are cut altogether. Now, I hear they gave them some more money.
Of all the characters that you created were some more memorable?
JA: "the immortals", Joaquim Leitão movies like "Temptation" and "Adam and Eve".
And in terms of American cinematography?
JA: American films were not the most important of my life were more important to my work, because they are seen in the world. The most striking is perhaps "good morning Babylon" by the Taviani brothers that made me work internationally and "the gaping king" of Imanol Uribe. But there were more European films that Americans who gave me notoriety. Clearly the "imminent danger" with Harrison Ford gives a visibility that people recognize. This is always important. But I have a varied career that I like.
