A journey through the lens: Marta Mateus’ “Fogo do Vento”
A cinematic atelier
Marta Mateus‘ debut feature, “Fogo do Vento”, is a testament to the power of cinema as an art form. This film, which took over four years to complete, is a meticulously crafted piece that runs just 70 minutes. Despite its brevity, it is packed with intensity and focus, making it a standout in contemporary cinema.
Mateus describes her filmmaking process as akin to working in an atelier. This approach is evident in the film’s composition, where each shot feels like a carefully crafted art object. The stillness of the camera contributes to this sense of craftedness, creating a unique visual experience.
“One time, a filmmaker told me, ‘Oh, you did that film where people never move.’ What was he talking about? Then I understood perhaps he had this feeling since it is, in fact, the camera that almost never moves,” Mateus recalls.
A painterly approach to cinema
Mateus’ background in philosophy, theater, and music, rather than formal cinema studies, has significantly influenced her filmmaking style. She deliberately avoided studying cinema to maintain her unique vision and avoid being influenced by traditional cinematic techniques.
“I’ve studied many things, but not cinema. I didn’t want to study cinema because I knew that’s what I wanted to do, so I thought that I would not let anyone tell me how to do it,” she explains.
This interdisciplinary approach is evident in the film’s visual style, which owes more to painting than to traditional cinema. The use of natural light, particularly the sun, plays a crucial role in the film, creating a dynamic and ever-changing visual landscape.
The role of natural light
“Fogo do Vento” is largely shot in broad daylight, with the sun playing a primary role. The sun bears down on wine workers toiling in fields and sneaks between the leaves of the trees as the workers seek refuge from a wild bull up in the branches. Mateus and her crew faced the challenge of working with constantly changing natural light, returning to the same locations repeatedly to capture the perfect shot.
“I give a lot of attention to images that appear in my mind. When you shoot for a long time, you store these images in the back of your brain. Maybe another image would come to me during the shooting, and I would have to rework the narrative, but we as filmmakers must accept that that’s how it works,” Mateus reflects.
Evoking history through imagery
The changing light in “Fogo do Vento” is a metaphor for transience, but the film is more than just an expression of the fleeting nature of time. It delves into themes of community, nation, and struggle, evoking history with every shot. The film’s protagonist, Maria Catarina, offers photos dating back to the colonial war in Africa, while the figure of João de Encarnação, Mateus’ great-grandfather, haunts the film as a young soldier from the Great War.
“There is a whole world inside each one of us. We all carry this connection to history and are responsible for it,” Mateus states.
A counter-image to war
Mateus also aims to challenge the banalization of war images in contemporary media. With political conflicts looming large, cinema can offer a counter-image to the violence propagated by mass media.
“History is also built on images. We have to understand which images we want to keep because the imagery of war creates images of war. Film has to act as a disruption of this flow, to be the ally of the humanity we do not generally care to look at,” she asserts.
Ancestral roots and symbolic imagery
The film is rooted in the ancestral territory of Alentejo in Portugal, allowing for the intrusion of symbolic imagery. A dangerous bull stalks the fields, forcing the peasants and workers to clamber up into the trees, symbolizing shared solidarity.
“I grew up in Portugal in the middle of nowhere, where the oral tradition is still very important. Storytelling – legends and myths – were part of our everyday life,” Mateus shares.
This personal experience overlaps with the film’s ritualistic approach to history and the possibility of breaking the chain of suffering, embodying the hope of revolution and liberation.
A new conscience through cinema
Decades ago, militant cinema relied on shocking images to provoke and stir tensions. Mateus, however, opts for a different approach. She focuses on the force of a shot and the rhythm of almost chanted dialogue, evoking how oral cultures interpret the world, far removed from contemporary linear, capitalistic narratives.
“I think today cinema plays a very important role, but in a very unconscious way. It has a symbolic force, and it stimulates our imagination in a way that we are not fully aware of. Cinema can be a disruptive force and can also give us a new conscience about something – an emotional, sentimental feeling. And, in doing so, it creates something new. How and why a film touches you is also important,” she concludes, inviting viewers to let her film speak for itself.
For more information and to watch the trailer, visit Fogo do Vento.