A large house, with deep-rooted temporal marks, presented on an untouchable ‘altar.’ The individual relationship with freedom, unity, and/or its absence. The celebration of tradition while questioning and challenging it, on a path illuminated by music.”
Expresso Transatlântico is set to present “Ressaca Bailada – Film-Concert”, which will premiere at Doc Lisboa (International Film Festival) on October 19 at 7:15 PM at Cinema São Jorge, in the M. Oliveira Room, with a reprise on October 21 at 2:00 PM at the Small Auditorium of Culturgest.
Written and directed by Sebastião Varela, who studied film at Kingston University in the UK, this feature film was shot in April at 8Marvila in Lisbon and also at Guincho.
With this work, the group led by Sebastião Varela, Gaspar Varela, and Rafael Matos challenges the canons of tradition. “It’s what we do with our music, and it’s what we want to translate into images. That’s essentially the challenge—to the untouchable status of tradition, something that cannot be altered or played with. The film challenges this status, showing that it is possible and important to open doors to the future,” explains the director.
“Ressaca Bailada – Film-Concert” revives the imagery built in Expresso Transatlântico’s music videos and blends live performances (featuring Conan Osíris) with fictional moments portrayed by recurring actors from the band’s visual universe. João Cachola, Rita Blanco, Laura Dutra, Vicente Wallenstein, Inês Pires Tavares, Rodolfo Major, and Nuno Nolasco make up the cast, playing characters who seek freedom outside the confinement of this house. It’s a sensory and intellectual journey through the deep layers of Portuguese cultural identity.
With their debut full-length album “Ressaca Bailada”, hailed by major national media as one of the “Best Albums of the Year,” Expresso Transatlântico’s journey has taken them to key national and international stages. With over thirty shows performed since the album’s release, the band has graced major national festivals like Primavera Sound, FMM Sines, Bons Sons, Ageas Cool Jazz, and Festival F. Internationally, they represented Portugal at the Eurosonic Festival (Netherlands) and the Buenos Aires Book Fair (Argentina).
The journey continues, with the next stops for Expresso Transatlântico scheduled for October 6 in Lisbon, at the reopening of Teatro Variedades, and October 24 in Setúbal, at Film Fest – Live Music Film Festival.
