Underplayed Gems

Maria do Mar (1930)

Maria do Mar poster
Directed by
José Leitão de Barros
Genre
drama film, silent film
Country
Portugal
Runtime
1h 34m
Rating
6.4 of 10 from 11 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

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How it feels

In a small Portuguese fishing village, the daily lives and struggles of the community are shown through a fictional story. The film captures the hard work and resilience of the people who depend on the sea.

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What happens

Maria do Mar is a 1930 Portuguese silent drama film, a docufiction, directed by Leitão de Barros. In March 2000, the Portuguese Cinematheque released a restoration of the film in Lisbon and Porto. The film is notable not just for its narrative but also for its innovative use of cinematic techniques influenced by German expressionism, Soviet montage, and American filmmaking styles. It is considered one of the earliest examples of "ethnofiction," where real cultural and social practices are depicted within a fictional framework. The film's documentary-like authenticity is one of its strengths, capturing the everyday struggles and resilience of Nazaré's fishing community. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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