Independent Algarvian cinema

Gunshots, bullets flying, explosions. At the bottom of a trench one soldier is determined to complete his mission: to deliver a message to the officer in command.

This is the simple story behind the short movie «Comando» - 10 minutes of actioin – with special effects inspired by the film «Saving Private Ryan».

It’s just that unlike the film made in Hollywood, this one produced and directed by Patrício Faísca and his friend Sonat Duyar cost just €27.50. Expenses were down to the manufacturing of false blood and the purchase of barbed wire.

“Our films are made from whatever we can find. Basically, it all boils down to exchanges of favours and loans. We only pay for something if it’s really necessary”, explains Faísca.

To create the battlefield they had to dig – by hand (there was no other option) – a trench more than 15 metres long. This involved the coordination of a team of 20 or so people who worked voluntarily during two intense days of filming.

“We know the film is travelling the world now. We’ve received emails from people who’d like to show it at short film festivals. In principle, it’s going to Russia and India this year” and it has already been screened at the New York Portuguese Short Film Festival 2011.

In Portugal “we’ve had a great response”, Faísca tells. An example is the success at «Shortcutz», an event that takes place every Tuesday in Lisbon and every Wednesday in Oporto.

Two short films are shown per session, all of them recently made, to keep the public up to date with what’s happening. “What’s good about these sessions is that the film-makers are invited to present their films”. Later, monthly and annual prizes are awarded (for various categories, in a small gala) – and in Oporto «Comando» has already won the prize for Best Short Film for April.

Patrício Faísca fell in love with the cinema when he was a child. By the age of six he was watching television documentaries about “the making of” films. He was fascinated by special effects – and his first attempts came at the age of 10 when he asked to borrow his father’s camera.

In 2000 he filmed his first feature length film, «A Mata», inspired by the then popular cult movie, «Blair Witch Project».

“From that moment I could see that I wasn’t so far away from actually getting somewhere”, he said.

Meantime, as often happens with creative people, school didn’t go well. “My parents were always going on about the importance of studying – but I only got to the 10th year in the end. I would go to classes, but what I wanted to be doing was filming and creating – not looking at books. I also felt I would get more out of learning over the Internet” than signing up for a Multimedia course “which was a total joke…

It was at a time that the Government was losing a lot of software licences” and, disillusioned with the whole situation, Faísca decided to travel a different path.

And the results?

In April 2009, Faísca’s terror film «Vila Gondra» (made on a budget of €65) caused a sensation on SIC Radical. Chosen by SIC channels director Pedro Boucherie Mendes to be screened as part of the channel’s 8th anniversary commemorations, it was shown four times.

“A film isn’t just about filming. It’s all the preparation work, post-production and working out how to distribute it in the best way possible”, explains the founder of New Light Pictures. The process also requires the capacity to innovate and create practical solutions - some of them real feats of genius.

This “all began with a dream – which then began collecting people. I started alone”, says Faísca, “and then a group of other young people got interested, and today they’re much more than my right arms”.

One of these young people is Nelson Mendonça, 22, who began as an extra and has been part of the team since 2002. In the future “I would like to have a company that dedicated itself to the cinema and was part of the whole industry”.

His next production, due to make its debut later this year, is called «Agente K17». Right now there’s “only a website, as the film is scheduled to be released at the end of the summer. It’s a new approach for us as it mixes comedy with action.

It’s a critique on Portugal’s political situation. It centres on a secret agent hired by the government, which then doesn’t have the money to fund his mission. And the action goes from there”.

But the ambitious team (which currently numbers around 20) has another project in hand – the biggest and most expensive yet. “A real likelihood for the beginning of 2012”.

“It’s called «Último Recurso» (Last Resort), and involves a budget of €600 – covering catering and trips to various locations throughout the Algarve – Messines, Lagos and Albufeira.

Direction and screenplay are in the hands of Faísca, who’s keeping the whole thing very much under wraps. “I can say that it’s going to be a very different style of movie.

It’s a medium that I’ve been wanting to explore for a while – more connected to the future – and we’ll be exploring drama alongside action. “We’ve had to invest in fake blood again – that’s a characteristic of our films! But this time round we’ll be going a little further with our special effects”, he jokes. Their formula is simple – washing up liquid and red dye.

“Perhaps it’s not the best, but it works for us and the camera”. When it comes to bleeding from the mouth, it’s corn jelly and colouring.

Another important aspect is “the feminine presence” in our films, adds Faísca.

And one of the difficulties there is finding people for the parts. “For the time being, we’re still scouting out around Loulé trying to find people. We already have some with experience working in television – people who have done castings and workshops – but it’s not that easy to find older actors, either…” he sighs.

Meantime, the leading lights behind New Light Pictures have not organised themselves into an official entity. “No. As we’re not professionals in this field we’re trying to win our maturity first”. According to Faísca, his team is already seen as “future rising stars” by the Algarve Film Commission.

“I think the Algarve has a lot of potential for making films – with it’s special light and landscapes. When I’m out filming and I look through the lens, I think how much I would like to see all this in a film. There are lots of ruins, lots of abandoned sites; we have our beaches and the beautiful countryside. There’s a bit of everything. The only thing missing is the industry”…