João César Monteiro

"What happens when you live without the movies? You get poorer." João César Monteiro was a Portuguese actor, director, screenwriter, and film critic. In his youth, he moved to Great Britain to study at the London Film School, which allowed him to get closer to international film trends. His first feature film, Fragments of an Alms-Film (1972), marked the beginning of his career. In 1981, Monteiro gained international recognition with Silvestre, an adaptation of Portuguese folk tales. With more than twenty titles, he was the screenwriter and actor in many of his works, including Recollections of the Yellow House (1989), God's Comedy (1995), and The Spousals of God (1999), in which he played João de Deus. As a controversial and experimental filmmaker, Monteiro was influenced by his work as a critic and poet, challenging formal and narrative conventions. He is remembered for his irreverent and personal style.