05/04/2007

In a week when all the attentions are on the highly anticipated release of David Lynch's US/French/Polish co-production INLAND EMPIRE [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news), which was the accompanied by a trendy premiere party organised by local distributor Atalanta Filmes, there is nevertheless space on screens for Dot.com [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the new film by local director Luís Galvão Teles, who returned behind the camera three years after Fado Blues.

Dot.com assumes a satirical tone in reflecting upon the effect of new technologies on the lives of the 39 inhabitants of Águas Altas, a village in the north of Portugal. An engineer who finds himself stuck in the village for professional reasons decides to create a website dedicated to the region: www.aguasaltas.com.

The initiative is well accepted by the locals and even by the priest, who claims that if Jesus Christ were alive, even he would have a personal website. However, a Spanish multinational wants to claim the name of Águas Altas, to launch a new brand of mineral water. This spawns a controversy that pulls in the media and the local government, while some of the residents lead a campaign against a so-called Spanish invasion.

Produced by Lisbon-based Fado Filmes in cooperation with Spain's Alta Films Producción and Ireland's Zanzibar Films, with support from ICAM and public broadcaster RTP, the film stars Spanish actress Maria Adánez alongside a cast of Portuguese actors that includes João Tempera, Marco Delgado, Isabel Abreu, Lia Gama, Adriano Luz and Margarida Carpinteiro.

The film is being distributed by Lusomundo.