The prestigious Cinemateca Portuguesa recently hosted on January 23rd 2025 an evening celebrating the intersection of cinema and visual arts. The event was opened by vice-director Nuno Sena, featuring the projection of Gianmarco Donaggio’s remarkable films, including Azul no Azul and Alba Nera, both inspired by the paintings of Nelson Ferreira. The evening also included a special exhibition of Ferreira’s artwork, providing audiences with a multi-sensory experience.
The Cinemateca Portuguesa, often likened to global institutions such as the British Film Institute, La Cinémathèque Française, and the American Film Institute, offered the backdrop for this momentous occasion. One of the highlights of the evening was the Q&A session with both artists, which lasted over an hour—nearly twice as long as the screenings themselves. The audience’s enthusiastic reception of these indie films was a testament to the profound impact of Gianmarco Donaggio as a director.
For Nelson Ferreira, the event held deep personal significance. “It was an absolute honor to see our collaborative films projected in such a revered institution,” he shared. “And it was beautiful to revisit The Lisbon Trilogy, the first film I ever saw made by Gianmarco. This was before he got to the Berlinale and the European Film Academy.”
The celebration also marked the launch of Gianmarco’s art book Alba Nera, with a special opening by Joaquim Ruivo, director of the Mosteiro da Batalha. The evening was made possible through the support of Livraria Linha de Sombra and João Coimbra Oliveira, known for their dedication to promoting cinema and culture in Lisbon.
As Ferreira hinted in his Instagram post, the journey of these films and paintings is far from over: “@britishfilminstitute, @librarycongress, @themuseumofmodernart, @cinemathequefr, @deutschekinemathek, @cinemathequeqc—you’re next!”
Photos by @livrarialinhadesombra
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