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PRODUCTION Portugal

João Botelho to shoot new film based on Eça de Queirós’ novel

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- Principal photography of incestuous story Os Maias is set to start on October 14

João Botelho to shoot new film based on Eça de Queirós’ novel

Portuguese director João Botelho will start on October 14 the principal photography of his new feature, Os Maias. Adapted from a classic of Portuguese literary realism written by Eça de Queirós, the film is produced by Lisbon-based company Ar de Filmes, with the support of Portugal’s Film Institute, ICA.

Botelho has a flair for literary adaptations. He has previously directed films based on books by local authors Agustina Bessa-Luís (A corte do norte [+see also:
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), Almeida Garrett (Quem és tu?) and Fernando Pessoa (Filme do Desassossego). He now takes on Eça de Queirós. 

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More than an incestuous tragic story, Os Maias is known as a great piece of social criticism, featuring sarcastic descriptions of politicians and other characters from the 19th century Lisbon provincial bourgeoisie. It is this social aspect of the book that caught Botelho’s eye. “After the publication of Os Maias, Portugal went bankrupt and it took us more than 100 years to get out of it. (…) What politicians say in the novel is rather similar to what they say now. If you remove some of the moustaches and all those “frous-frous”, nothing has changed”- stated the director when he first referred to the project, over a year ago.

Actors Miguel Guilherme, João Perry, Graciano Dias, Pedro Inês, and Maria João Pinho will star in the film which will be shot in Lisbon, Ponte de Lima and Guimarães. Further details on the project are expected to be unveiled on October 10 during the film’s official presentation, to be held in Lisbon.

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